— 83 — 



those of Cambodja and the productioiis of the country are the same as of Siam. 

 When one commits a murder or theft, they cut off his hands, and when 

 adultery lias been committed, the culprit lias his legs chained for the time 

 of a year. 



For their sacrifices they take the time that there is no moon ; they 

 fill a bowl with wine and eatables and let it float away on the water; in 

 the LI th month they have a great sacrifice. 



They get corals from the sea and they have a bird called s'ari (*) 

 (beo, gracula religiosa) which can talk. 



In the year 6L6 they sent an envoy to appear at court and bring 

 tribute, but they ceased to do this afterwards. 



New historyof the Tang dynasty .(618— 906). Book 222. 



Poli ( 2 ) is situated at the south-east of Cambodja; going by sea from 

 Northern Annam (Giau-chi) and passing the gulf of Siam and Malacca, one 

 arrivés there. The country is large and its settlements are numerous; a horse 

 is also called ma by them. lts circonfereiice is many thousand li. In this 

 country they have a kind of fire-pearls ( 3 ), of which some- are as large as a 

 hens egg; they are round and white, and shed a lustre to a distance of several 

 feet; if you let the sun shine through them on tinder, it takes fire imme- 

 diately. 



The country produces tortoise-shell , spotted conches and a stone called 

 kampara ( 4 ) ; this substance is soft at first , so that you can cut it, 

 but after it lias been carved it becomes hard. There is also a bird called 

 s'ari (beo , gracula religiosa) , which understands human speech ; its body is 

 black , its head red and it lias claws like a hawk. 



They carry the teeth of wild beasts in their ears and wrap a piece of 

 cotton round their loins; cotton is a plant of which they collect the flowers 



O <& SI. 



C) y^ J^k, evidently a kind of burning-glass, but whether of glass or crystal, and manu- 



factured in wliat place, we have no mcans to ascertain. 



0) 4*H ï=f l*t| , See page 80. In the island of Java many ancient statues of the old 



Hindoo worship have been found, evidently made from this material and by the process indieated 

 above. 



