— 59 — 



It woulrl seem however that their isolation was not quite complete and that 

 the island was visited by Chinese envoys in the begüming of the 15 ül century , wlicn 

 China kept np an official intercourse witli foreign countries with remarkable energy. 

 In the History of the Ming dynasty, Book 324, we find the following notice about 

 two places , which we are inclined to think were in the island of Bali. 



Tich-li (*) lies near Java. In the year 1405 the Emperor sent there 

 an envoy , who camc back with a messenger from the king , bringing tribute. 

 This country adheres to the doctrines of Buddha , its customs are pure , there 

 are few litigations and its products are not many. 



Dji-la-ha-ti ( 2 ) is situated near Java. In the year 1405 the Emperor 

 sent there an envoy , who brought back an envoy from its king with tribute. 

 The country is small and the people are acquainted with agriculture. There 

 are no robbers and they believe also in the tenets of Buddha. Its only 

 productions are sapanwood and pepper. 



We feel inclined to apply these two passages to places on the island of Bali , 

 in the first place on account of the special mention made of Bnddhism; it is true it 

 was rather Bramanism which prevailed in the island, bnt the Chinese often confonnd 

 these two and it seems there was at the time more religions spirit m Bali than in 

 the other islands. This feature, and also the purity of manners, are often mentiöned 

 of Bali by later geographers. 



It must however be acknowleclged that it remains very uncertain whether the 

 above accounts really speak of Madura and Bali. 



SUMATRA. 



Of this island the ancient Chinese have only known the northern and the 

 eastern coast , on each of which they found an emporium for their trade , which gave 

 its name to the wholc country; though these names have changed in the course of 

 time , they all apply on the northern coast to the present Acheen and on the eastern 

 side to Palembang , or if not exactly to these places , at least to their immediate 

 neighbourhood. Eor a long time the Chinese, as other early travelers, were not 

 aware that these two places were situated on the same island, they speak of them as 

 quite separate countries and we will , accordingly , treat them in the same way. 



O ^ Jï Tieh-Ii or Tili-li (Deli ?). 

 {2) B 8 I Vp , also J üi-ra-ha-chi. 



