THE OLIVE 419 



teenth century positively denies the occurrence of olives in China. 1 

 Of course, this Arabic traveller is not an authority on Chinese affairs: 

 many of his data concerning China are out and out absurd. He may 

 even not have visited China, as suggested by G. Ferrand; notwith- 

 standing, he may be right in this particular point. Likewise the Arch- 

 bishop of Soltania, who wrote about 1330, states, " There groweth 

 not any oil olive in that country." 2 



1 YULE, Cathay, Vol. IV, p. 118. 



2 Ibid., Vol. Ill, p. 96. 



