95 



bat; these wings connect the fore witli the hind legs and it cannot Ry far; 

 when it is caught it will not be fed and soon dies. 



The country is srnall and produces nothing for export but fragrant 

 resins and such things. 



J ö k 



ïïsing-ch'a Shêng-lan (1436). 



Aru (*) is situated opposite to the Sembilan-islands { 2 ); with a fair 

 wind it takes three days and nights to go there from Malacca. 



The customs of the people and the climate differ little from Sumatra. 

 The soil is barren and produces little; the people chiefly live on bananas 

 and cocoanuts. 



Men and women go with the upper part of the body naked and wear 

 round the lower part a coarse cloth ; for their livelyhood they fish in the sea, 

 in boats made out of one tree , or they go into the forest to collect camphor 

 and such tliings. Every man carries a bow and poisoned arrows to protect 

 himself. 



The products of the country are crane-crests and camphor, which 

 they sell to foreign traders. In exchange they take coloured silks, earthen- 

 ware, glassbeads, etc. 



History of the Ming dynasty (1368—1643). Book 325. 



Aru ( 3 ) is situated near Malacca; with a fair wind the passage takes 

 three days. 



The customs and manners are about the same as in Sumatra; their 

 fields are poor and yield little, but they plant large quantities of plantains 

 and cocoanuts, which they use as food. 



In the year 1411 their king Su-lu-tang Hut-sin ( 4 ) sent envoys to 

 bring tribute, together with those of Calicut and other countries. The envoys 

 were presented with caps, gkdles, silks, money and paper money, and presents 

 for the king were sent with them. 



(*) j>l\ ~ftjt tlie Nine-Islands or Puin Sembilan, on the coast of Perak. 

 (") jj || )ff $J ^, probably Sultlian Hussin. 



