— 93 — 



Of tliis latter place, at least under its modern name, we have only founcl 

 the following account. 



Atjeh. 



Tung Hsi Yang K'au (1618). Book IV. fol. llr. 



On the trade. 



When a ship arrivés, there is a guarcl who looks out and. informs 

 the king of it, and an elephant is sent to take the captain, who goes with 

 it and has an audience. Presents of fruit and silk are sent to the king, 

 who on his side gives hini a dinner. The taxes on the trade are said to be 

 very just. 



(Here we omit a quotation from the Hsing-cira Shêng-lan , which has already 

 been translated on page 88). 



The amber-gris costs 12 golden coins the thail, which makes 192 

 golden coins a caty; taking such a golden coin as eqnal to 9000 copper 

 cash of China, the price cannot be called cheap. 



Those who come from far to this country rnake more profit than 

 elsewhere, and during the Sung dynasty it had the reputation of possessing 

 mucli gold, silver and silk , whilst the skill of its artisans was highly praised. 

 Even now it is still rich and prosperous as before. 



No other places on this coast are mentioned in the older sources , but the 

 two accounts for which we are indebted to the Chinese embassies of the beginning of 

 the 15th century, describe quite a number of them , which notices we will now trans- 

 late , beginning on the eastern side of the north-coast. 



The country of the Fresh-water Sea (')• 



Hsing-ch'a Shêng-lan (1436). 



This country is connected with the territory of Am ( 2 ) and is three 

 days away from Malacca. There is a sea-arm entering the land , with a large 

 stream (or: large streams) falling into it; this stream covers the sea to a 



(') V$> y¥ litt. the fresh-water sea, 

 ( 2 ) ^g $3 v. next article. 



