RASHI′DU-D DI′N, FROM AL BI′RU′NI′.
that Darband Nias,[1] which is a dependency of Jáva. In the mountains of Jáva scented woods grow. In those islands are several cities, of which the chief are Arú, Barlak, Dalmían, Jáva, and Barkúdoz.[2] The mountains of Java are very high. It is the custom of the people to puncture their hands and entire body with needles, and then rub in some black substance to colour it.
Opposite Lámurí is the island of Lákwarám,[3] which produces plenty of red amber. Men and women go naked, except that the latter cover the pudenda with cocoanut leaves. They are all subject to the Ká-án [Emperor of China.]
Passing on from this you come to a continent called Jampa, also subject to the Ká-án. The people are red and white.
Beyond that is Haitam,[4] subject also to the Ká-án.
Beyond that is Máhá Chín,[5] then the harbour of Zaitún,[6] on the shore of China sea,[7] and an officer of the Ká-án, entitled
- ↑ [The Arabic version has Darband Manás.] This may be Pulu Nias, which M.M. Maury and Dulaurier, from independent observation, conceive to be the Al-Neyan of the early Geographers. See Journal Asiatique, 4th Series, Tom. VIII. 200, and Bulletin de la Soniété de Geog., April, 1846.
- ↑ These cities, it will be observed, are not confined to one island. Parlah is no doubt Tanjung Parlah, or Diamond Point, on the north-east coast of Sumatra. Barúdoz [or Búkúdúr, as the Arabic MS. gives it], without any violent metathesis.may perhaps be read Bencoolen—the “Wan-Kou-Leon” of the Chinese. (Nouv. J. A . XI. 54.) Towards Papua is a large island called Aru, but that is no doubt too distant for our author. His city may be the metropolis of Java according to Ptolemy—
. Geog., VII. 2, 29.
- ↑ As this might easily be read Nicobar, allusion may be made to the islands of that name. The early Arabian Geographers and Idrísí seem to designate this group by the term Lanjabálús.
- ↑ [So in the first edition, and so in MS. A. B. has
, C. has 
and Binákití 
.]
- ↑ Idrísí calls this Síniatu-s Sin, situated at the extremity of the empire. “No city is equal to it, whether we consider its greatness, the number of the edifices, the importance of its commerce, the variety of its merchandize, or the number of merchants which visit it from different parts of India.” Ibn al Wárdi says, “It is the extreme eastern part which is inhabited, and beyond which there is nothing but the ocean.”
- ↑ A port in the province of Fo-Kien. See Marsden's Marco Polo, p. 561. M. Klaproth, Mem. rel. d l’ Asie. Tom. II. p. 208, and M. Reinaud, Relation des voyages, Tom., II. pp. 25, 26.
- ↑ [This reading of the first edition is supported by the Arabic MS. C., which says, “After this is Chín the great” [
] after that the harbour of Zaitun on the shore of the sea of Chíng. The Persian MS. A. and Binákití entirely omit the first sentence.]
