"And if you have a supply of camphor add two
ounces of that." (Aetii Medici Graeci Tetrabiblos, etc., Froben, 1549, p.
910.)
It is highly probable that Fansur and Barus may be not only the same
locality but mere variations of the same name.[2] The place is called in
the Shijarat Malayu, Pasuri, a name which the Arabs certainly made
into Fansuri in one direction, and which might easily in another, by a
very common kind of Oriental metathesis, pass into Barusi. The legend in
the Shijarat Malayu relates to the first Mahomedan mission for the
conversion of Sumatra, sent by the Sherif of Mecca via India. After
sailing from Malabar the first place the party arrived at was PASURI, the
people of which embraced Islam. They then proceeded to LAMBRI, which also
accepted the Faith. Then they sailed on till they reached Haru (see on
my map Aru on the East Coast), which did likewise. At this last place
they enquired for SAMUDRA, which seems to have been the special object of
their mission, and found that they had passed it. Accordingly they
retraced their course to PERLAK, and after converting that place went on
to SAMUDRA, where they converted Mara Silu the King. (See note 1, ch. x.
above.) This passage is of extreme interest as naming four out of
Marco's six kingdoms, and in positions quite accordant with his
indications. As noticed by Mr. Braddell, from whose abstract I take the
passage, the circumstance of the party having passed Samudra unwittingly
is especially consistent with the site we have assigned to it near the
head of the Bay of Pasei, as a glance at the map will show.
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