The word is in the Latin
column of the Petrarchian Vocabulary with the Persian rendering Sagri.
This shows us what is meant, for Saghri is just our word Shagreen, and
is applied to a fine leather granulated in that way, which is much used
for boots and the like by the people of Central Asia. [In Turkish saghri
or saghri is the name both for the buttocks of a horse and the leather
called shagreen prepared with them. (See Devic, Dict. Etym.) - H. C.]
In the commercial lists of our Indian north-west frontier we find as
synonymous Saghri or Kimukht, "Horse or Ass-hide." No doubt this
latter word is a form of Kamu or Camut. It appears (as Keimukht, "a
sort of leather") in a detail of imports to Aden given by Ibn al Wardi,
a geographer of the 13th century.
Instead of Camut, Ramusio has Camoscia, i.e. Chamois, and the same seems
to be in all the editions based on Fra Pipino's version. It may be a
misrendering of camutum or camutium; or is there any real connexion
between the Oriental Kamu Kimukht, and the Italian camoscia? (I. B.
II. 445; Klapr. Mem. vol. III.; Davies's Trade Report, App. p. ccxx.;
Vambery's Travels, 423; Not. et Ext. II. 43.)
Fraehn (writing in 1832) observes that he knew no use of the word
Bolghar, in the sense of Russian leather, older than the 17th century.
But we see that both Marco and Ibn Batuta use it. (F. on the Wolga
Bulghars, pp. 8-9.)
Pauthier in a note (p. 285) gives a list of the garments issued to certain
officials on these ceremonial occasions under the Mongols, and sure enough
this list includes "pairs of boots in red leather." Odoric particularly
mentions the broad golden girdles worn at the Kaan's court.
[La Curne, Dict., has Bulga, leather bag; old Gallic word from which
are derived bouge et bougete, bourse; he adds in a note, "Festus
writes: 'Bulgas galli sacculos scorteos vocant.'" - H. C.]
NOTE 3. - "Then come mummers leading lions, which they cause to salute the
Lord with reverence." (Odoric, p. 143.) A lion sent by Mirza Baisangar,
one of the Princes of Timur's House, accompanied Shah Rukh's embassy as
a present to the Emperor; and like presents were frequently repeated.
(See Amyot, XIV. 37, 38.)
CHAPTER XVII.
HOW THE GREAT KAAN ENJOINETH HIS PEOPLE TO SUPPLY HIM WITH GAME.
The three months of December, January, and February, during which the
Emperor resides at his Capital City, are assigned for hunting and fowling,
to the extent of some 40 days' journey round the city; and it is ordained
that the larger game taken be sent to the Court. To be more particular: of
all the larger beasts of the chase, such as boars, roebucks, bucks, stags,
lions, bears, etc., the greater part of what is taken has to be sent, and
feathered game likewise. The animals are gutted and despatched to the
Court on carts. This is done by all the people within 20 or 30 days'
journey, and the quantity so despatched is immense. Those at a greater
distance cannot send the game, but they have to send the skins after
tanning them, and these are employed in the making of equipments for the
Emperor's army.[NOTE 1]
NOTE 1. - So Magaillans: "Game is so abundant, especially at the capital,
that every year during the three winter months you see at different
places, intended for despatch thither, besides great piles of every sort
of wildfowl, rows of four-footed game of a gunshot or two in length: the
animals being all frozen and standing on their feet. Among other species
you see three sundry kinds of bears ... and great abundance of other
animals, as stags and deer of different sorts, boars, elks, hares,
rabbits, squirrels, wild-cats, rats, geese, ducks, very fine jungle-fowl,
etc., and all so cheap that I never could have believed it" (pp. 177-178).
As this writer mentions wild-cats, we may presume that the "lions" of
Polo also were destined to be eaten.
["Kubilai Khan kept a whole army, 14,000 men, huntsmen, distributed in
Peking and other cities in the present province of Chili (Yuen-shi). The
Khan used to hunt in the Peking plain from the beginning of spring, until
his departure to Shang-tu. There are in the Peking department many low and
marshy places, stretching often to a considerable extent and abounding in
game. In the biography of Ai-sie (Yuen shi, chap. cxxxiv.), who was a
Christian, it is mentioned that Kubilai was hunting also in the department
of Pao-ting fu." (Palladius, p. 45.) - H. C.]
CHAPTER XVIII.
OF THE LIONS AND LEOPARDS AND WOLVES THAT THE KAAN KEEPS FOR THE CHASE.
The Emperor hath numbers of leopards[NOTE 1] trained to the chase, and
hath also a great many lynxes taught in like manner to catch game, and
which afford excellent sport.[NOTE 2] He hath also several great Lions,
bigger than those of Babylonia, beasts whose skins are coloured in the
most beautiful way, being striped all along the sides with black, red, and
white. These are trained to catch boars and wild cattle, bears, wild
asses, stags, and other great or fierce beasts. And 'tis a rare sight, I
can tell you, to see those lions giving chase to such beasts as I have
mentioned! When they are to be so employed the Lions are taken out in a
covered cart, and every Lion has a little doggie with him. [They are
obliged to approach the game against the wind, otherwise the animals would
scent the approach of the Lion and be off.][NOTE 3]
