Irano-Sinica — Walrus Ivory 567 



The Chinese Gazetteer of Macao 1 contains the following notice of 

 the walrus (hai ma): "Its tooth is hard, of a pure bright white with 

 veins as fine as silk threads or hair. It can be utilized for the carving of 

 ivory beads and other objects." 



Finally I have found another document in which the fish-teeth of 

 the Russians are identified with the tusks of the walrus (morse). This 

 is contained in the work of G. Fletcher, "The Russe Common Wealth," 

 published in London, 1591, 2 and runs as follows: "Besides these (which 

 are all good and substantiall commodities) they have divers other of 

 smaller account, that are natural and proper to that country: as the 

 fishe tooth (which they cal ribazuba), which is used both among them- 

 selves and the Persians and Bougharians, that fetcht it from thence 

 for beads, knives, and sword hafts of noblemen and gentlemen, and 

 for divers other uses. Some use the powder of it against poyson, as 

 the unicornes home. The fish that weareth it is called a morse, and is 

 caught about Pechora. These fishe teeth, some of them are almost two 

 foot of length, and weigh eleven or twelve pound apiece." 3 



1 Ao-men li lio, Ch. B, p. 37. 



2 Ed. of E. A. Bond, p. 13 (Hakluyt Society, 1856). 



1 The following case is interesting as showing how narwhal ivory could reach 

 India straight from the Arctics. PietrodellaValle (Vol. I, p. 4, Hakluyt Soc. ed.), 

 travelling on a ship from the Persian Gulf to India in 1623, tells this story: "On 

 Monday, the Sea being calm, the Captain, and I, were standing upon the deck of 

 our Ship, discoursing of sundry matters, and he took occasion to show me a piece 

 of Horn, which he told me himself had found in the yar 161 1 in a Northern Country, 

 whither he then sail'd, which they call Greenland, lying in the latitude of seventy- 

 six degrees. He related how he found this horn in the earth, being probably the horn 

 of some Animal dead there, and that, when it was intire, it was between five and 

 six feet long, and seven inches in circumference at the root, where it was thickest. 

 The piece which I saw (for the horn was broken, and sold by pieces in several places) 

 was something more than half a span long, and little less than five inches thick; 

 the color of it was white, inclining to yellow, like that of Ivory when it is old; it was 

 hollow and smooth within, but wreath'd on the outside. The Captain saw not the 

 Animal, nor knew whether it were of the land or the sea, for, according to the place 

 where he found it, it might be as well one as the other; but he believed for certain, 

 that it was of a Unicorn, both because the experience of its being good against poyson 

 argu'd so much, and for that the signes attributed by Authors to the Unicorn's 

 horn agreed also to this, as he conceiv'd. But herein I dissent from him, inasmuch as, 

 if I remember aright, the horn of the Unicorn, whom the Greeks call'd Monoceros, 

 is, by Pliny, describ'd black, and not white. The Captain added that it was a report, 

 that Unicorns are found in certain Northern parts of America, not far from that 

 Country of Greenland; and so not unlikely but that there might be some also in 

 Greenland, a neighbouring Country, and not yet known whether it be Continent 

 or Island; and that they might sometimes come thither from the contiguous lands 

 of America, in case it be no Island. . . . The Company of the Greenland Merchants 

 of England had the horn, which he found, because Captains of ships are their stipen- 

 diaries, and, besides their salary, must make no other profit of their Voyages; but 

 whatever they gain or find, in case it be known, and they conceal it not, all accrues 



