Compralashia
do meu sangue, a do meu dinheiro, que o tenho porque vos me daes." (Letter
of the Viceroy Dom Francisco to the King, Anno de 1508). (G. Correa,
Lendas da India, I. pp. 908-909.) - Note by Yule.]
NOTE 4. - Tembul is the Persian name for the betel-leaf or pan, from
the Sanskrit Tambula. The latter is also used in Tamul, though
Vettilei is the proper Tamul word, whence Betel (Dr. Caldwell).
Marsden supposes the mention of camphor among the ingredients with which
the pan is prepared to be a mistake, and suggests as a possible origin of
the error that kapur in the Malay language means not only camphor but
quicklime. This is curious, but in addition to the fact that the lime is
mentioned in the text, there seems ample evidence that his doubt about
camphor is unfounded.
Garcia de Orta says distinctly: "In chewing betre ... they mix areca
with it and a little lime.... Some add Licio (i.e. catechu), but the
rich and grandees add some Borneo camphor, and some also lign-aloes,
musk, and ambergris" (31 v. and 32). Abdurrazzak also says: "The manner
of eating it is as follows: They bruise a portion of faufel (areca),
otherwise called sipari, and put it in the mouth. Moistening a leaf of
the betel, together with a grain of lime, they rub the one upon the other,
roll them together, and then place them in the mouth. They thus take as
many as four leaves of betel at a time and chew them. Sometimes they add
camphor to it" (p. 32). And Abul Fazl: "They also put some betel-nut and
kath (catechu) on one leaf, and some lime-paste on another, and roll
them up; this is called a berah. Some put camphor and musk into it, and
tie both leaves with a silk thread," etc. (See Blochmann's Transl. p.
73.) Finally one of the Chinese notices of Kamboja, translated by Abel
Remusat, says: "When a guest comes it is usual to present him with areca,
camphor, and other aromatics." (Nouv. Mel. I. 84.)
[Illustration: Map showing the position of the Kingdom of ELY in MALABAR]
[Illustration: Sketch showing the position of KAYAL in TINNEVELLY]
NOTE 5. - This is the only passage of Ramusio's version, so far as I know,
that suggests interpolation from a recent author, as distinguished from
mere editorial modification. There is in Barbosa a description of the
duello as practised in Canara, which is rather too like this one.
[1] "Sonagar or Jonagar is a Tamil corruption of Yavanar, the Yavanas,
the name by which the Arabs were known, and is the name most commonly
used in the Tamil country to designate the mixed race descended from
Arab colonists, who are called Mapillas on the Malabar coast, and
Lubbies in the neighbourhood of Madras." (Dr. C.'s note)
[2] I am sorry to say that the coin never reached its destination. In the
latter part of 1872 a quantity of treasure was found near Kayal by the
labourers on irrigation works. Much of it was dispersed without coming
under intelligent eyes, and most of the coins recovered were Arabic.
One, however, is stated to have been a coin of "Joanna of Castille,
A.D. 1236." (Allen's India Mail, 5th January, 1874.) There is no such
queen. Qu. Joanna I. of Navarre (1274-1276)? or Joanna II. of
Navarre (1328-1336)?
[3] See above, p. 334, as to Dr. Caldwell's view of Polo's Sonderbandi. May
not Ashar very well represent Ashadha, "invincible," among the
applications of which Williams gives "N. of a prince". I observe also
that Aschar (Sansk. Aschariya "marvellous") is the name of one of
the objects of worship in the dark Sakti system, once apparently
potent in S. India. (See Taylor's Catalogue Raisonne, II. 414, 423,
426, 443, and remark p. xlix.)
["Ils disent donc que Dieu qu'ils appellent Achar, c'est-a-dire,
immobile ou immuable." (F. Bernier, Voy., ed. 1699, II. p.
134.) - MS. Note. - H.Y.]
CHAPTER XXII.
OF THE KINGDOM OF COILUM.
When you quit Maabar and go 500 miles towards the south-west you come to
the kingdom of COILUM. The people are Idolaters, but there are also some
Christians and some Jews. The natives have a language of their own, and a
King of their own, and are tributary to no one.[NOTE 1]
A great deal of brazil is got here which is called brazil Coilumin
from the country which produces it; 'tis of very fine quality.[NOTE 2]
Good ginger also grows here, and it is known by the same name of
Coilumin after the country.[NOTE 3] Pepper too grows in great
abundance throughout this country, and I will tell you how. You must know
that the pepper-trees are (not wild but) cultivated, being regularly
planted and watered; and the pepper is gathered in the months of May,
June, and July. They have also abundance of very fine indigo. This is made
of a certain herb which is gathered, and [after the roots have been
removed] is put into great vessels upon which they pour water and then
leave it till the whole of the plant is decomposed. They then put this
liquid in the sun, which is tremendously hot there, so that it boils and
coagulates, and becomes such as we see it. [They then divide it into
pieces of four ounces each, and in that form it is exported to our parts.]
[NOTE 4] And I assure you that the heat of the sun is so great there that
it is scarcely to be endured; in fact if you put an egg into one of the
rivers it will be boiled, before you have had time to go any distance, by
the mere heat of the sun!
The merchants from Manzi, and from Arabia, and from the Levant come
thither with their ships and their merchandise and make great profits both
by what they import and by what they export.
