The embassy of 1284
seems the most likely to be the one spoken of by Polo, though the Chinese
history does not give it the favourable result which he ascribes to it.
The date in the text we see to be wrong, and as usual it varies in
different MSS. I suspect the original date was MCCLXXXIII.
One of the Chinese notices gives one of the king's names as Sinhopala,
and no doubt this is Ramusio's Accambale (Acambale); an indication at
once of the authentic character of that interpolation, and of the identity
of Champa and Chen-ching.
[We learn from an inscription that in 1265 the King of Champa was
Jaya-Sinhavarman II., who was named Indravarman in 1277, and whom the
Chinese called Che li Tseya Sinho phala Maha thiwa (Cri Jaya Sinha varmma
maha deva). He was the king at the time of Polo's voyage. (A. Bergaigne,
Ancien royaume de Campa, pp. 39-40; E. Aymonier, les Tchames et leurs
religious, p. 14.) - H.C.]
There are notices of the events in De Mailla (IX. 420-422) and Gaubil
(194), but Pauthier's extracts which we have made use of are much fuller.
Elephants have generally formed a chief part of the presents or tribute
sent periodically by the various Indo-Chinese states to the Court of
China.
