IX., [p. 285.] “They [the rhinoceros] do no mischief, however, with the horn, but with the tongue alone; for this is covered all over with long and strong prickles [and when savage with any one they crush him under their knees and then rasp him with their tongue].”
“Its tongue is like the burr of a chestnut.” (Chau Ju-kwa, P. 233.)
IX., [p. 289.]
SUMATRA.
In 1017, an embassy was sent to the Court of China by Haji Sumutrabhūmi, “the king of the land of Sumutra” (Sumatra). The envoys had a letter in golden characters and tribute in the shape of pearls, ivory, Sanscrit, books folded between boards, and slaves; by an imperial edict they were permitted to see the emperor and to visit some of the imperial buildings. When they went back an edict was issued addressed to their king, accompanied by various presents, calculated to please them. (Groeneveldt, Notes on the Malay Archipelago, p. 65.) G. Ferrand writes (J. As., Mars–Avril, 1917, p. 335) that according to the texts quoted by him in his article the island of Sumatra was known to the Chinese under the name Sumuṭa = Sumutra, during the first years of the eleventh century, nearly 300 years before Marco Polo’s voyage; and under the name of Šumuṭra, by the Arab sailors, previously to the first voyage of the Portuguese in Indonesia.
IX., [p. 287.]
FERLEC.
Prof. Pelliot writes to me that the Ferlec of Marco Polo is to be found several times in the Yüan Shi, year 1282 and following, under the forms Fa-li-lang (Chap. 12, fol. 4 v.), Fa-li-la (Chap. 13, fol. 2 v.), Pie-li-la (Chap. 13, fol. 4 v.), Fa-eul-la (Chap. 18, fol. 8 v.); in the first case, it is quoted near A-lu (Aru) and Kan-pai (Kampei).—Cf. Ferrand, Textes, II., p. 670.
XI., [pp. 304–5.]