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I08   MARCO POLO.   VOL. II. BK. III.

(J. 24s., Mars-Avril, 1917, p. 335) that according to the texts

quoted by him in his article the island of Sumatra was known

to the Chinese under the name Sumuta=Sumutra, during the

first years of the eleventh century, nearly 300 years before Marco

Šumuţra, Polo's voyage ; and under the name of    by the Arab

sailors, previously to the first voyage of the Portuguese in

Indonesia.

IX., p. 287.

FERLEC.

Prof. Pelliot writes to me that the Ferlec of Marco Polo is to

be found several times in the Yuan Shi, year 1282 and following,

under the forms Fa-li-lang (Chap. i 2, fol. 4 v.), Fa-li-la (Chap. i 3,

fol. 2 v.), Pie-li-la (Chap. i 3, fol. 4. v.), Fa-eul-la (Chap. 18, fol.

8 v.) ; in the first case, it is quoted near A-lu (Aru) and Kan-pai

(Kampei). Cf. FERRAND, Textes, II., p. 670.

11.  pp. 304-5.

SAGO TREE.

Sago Palm = Sagus Rumphianus and S. Lavis (DENNYS).-

‚' From Malay sāgū. The farinaceous pith taken out of the stem

of several species of a particular genus of palm, especially

Metroxylon laeve, Mart., and M. Rumphii, Willd., found in every

part of the Indian Archipelago, including the Philippines, wherever

there is proper soil." (Hobson-Jobson.)

12.  p. 306. " In this island [Necuveran] they have no king nor

chief, but live like beasts. And I tell you they go all naked, both men

and women, and do not use the slightest covering of any kind."

We have seen (Marco Polo, I I., p. 308) that Mr. G. Phillips

writes (J. R. A. S., July, 1895, p. 529) that the name Tsui-lan given

to the Nicobars by the Chinese is, he has but little doubt, " a

corruption of Nocueran, the name given by Marco Polo to the

group. The characters Tsui-lan are pronounced Ch'ui lan in

Amoy, out of which it is easy to make Cueran. The Chinese

omitted the initial syllable and called them the Cueran Islands,

while Marco Polo called them the Nocueran Islands." Schlegel,

T'oung Pao, I X., p. 182-190, thinks that the Andaman Islands are

alone represented by Ts'ui-lan ; the Nicobar being the old

country of the Lo-ch'a, and in modern time, Mao span, " Hat

Island." Pelliot, Bul. Ecole Ext. Orient, IV., 1904, pp. 354-5, is