— 86 — 



and avengecl the death of the late king. When the king of Nakur was 

 killed, his people retreated and submitted, and did not nndertake any hos- 

 tilities more. The king's wife did not break her former engagement, but 

 married the old fisherman, who was called the old king, and all affairs of 

 the palace and the country went by his orders. 



In the year 1409, moved by his sense of duty, he brought as tribute 

 products of his country and was favorably received by the emperor. In the 

 year 1412 he returned to his country, when the son of the former king, 

 having grown up , secretly leagued with the nobles , killed his stepfather the 

 fisherman and took his throne. The fisherman had a nephew called Su-kan- 

 lah (*) , who assembled his folio wers with their families and ran away into 

 the mountains, where he made a fortification and soon began attacks to 

 reven ge the death of his uncle. 



In the year 1415 the eunuch Chêng Ho arrived here with a fleet; 

 he sent his soldiers to take Su-kan-lah prisoner and sent him to the court 

 of China, where he was condemned to death. The son of the king was 

 grateful for the imperial favour and continually sent tribute to the court of 

 China. 



The climate of this country is not the same during the whole year ; 

 in the daytime it is warm as in summer and at night it is cool as in autumn. 

 In the 5th and 7th month there is much malaria. 



The mountains produce sulphur, which is found in caves, and on these 

 mountains no plants or trees will grow, the ground being scorched. The 

 fields are not very fertile neither; they only plant rice in dry fields, where 

 it ripens twice a year , but barley and corn are not found. Pepper is grown 

 near the mountains, where people plant it in gardens; it grows against other 

 objects. lts flowers are yellow and white, and pepper is the fruit, which is 

 first green and becomes red Avhen it is ripe. When half ripe it is gathered 

 and driecl in the sun in order to be sold. The pepper with large and hollow 

 kernels comes from this place. Every hundred caties official weight are sold 

 for eighty pieces of gold, representing a value of one tael of silver ( 2 ). 



The fruits are plantains, sugarcane, mangoustine, nangka etc. There 

 is one kind called by the natives durian ( 3 ), 8 or 9 inches long and with 

 sharp points on its surface ; when it is ripe it divides into 5 or 6 parts and 



C) lÊêk ]j& jfjll, probably Su-kan-dah (lab) or Sekander. 



( 2 ) lt is probable that an error has crept into the tcxt licrc. 



( 3 ) B^* ÏS^ "PI ia-ri-yeu; Üic oriü'inal kas Mi instcad of ~ö| , which must be a mis- 

 print. 



