— 117 — 



To stand in the presence of others is a sign of clignity, and when they 

 see their king, they sit down on the ground with folded hands. They have 

 no family-names and do not know the times of the year. They are also without 

 writing ; when they want to record something they do it with fiat stones, and 

 a thousand stones are represented by a string. They have chiefs to whom, when 

 they have disputes , each party brings a goat ; he who is wrong loses his goat 

 and the other takes his away again. The old Chinese practice of reckoning 

 with knotted strings and bundled arrows, is thus preserved in these distant 

 islands. 



The market-place is some distance from the town , and whenever a mer- 

 chant-vessel has arrived , the king coines down from the town , accompanied 

 by his wife and children , his concubines and servants , his suite being rather 

 numerous. Taxes have to be paid daily, but they are not very heavy. The 

 natives continually bring sandal-wood for bartering with the merchants, but 

 they may not come when the king is not present, for fear of clisturbances. 

 Therefore the king is always requested to come first. 



Moluccos. 



The first time we have found these islands mentioned by Chinese geographers, 

 has been in the History of the T'ang dynasty (618 — 906), where they are introduced 

 under the name of Mi-li-kü, to determine the position of theisland of Bali (v. pag. 58). 

 No special description however is given and we do not hear of them again before the 

 ]6th centnry. 



Histor of the Ming dynasty (1368—1643). Book 323. 



The Moluccos (*) are situated in the south-eastern ocean and have a 

 reputation of being wealthy. When their chief goes out he has a great state, 

 and his subjects, who meet him, lay down at the side of the road with 

 folded hands. 



There is an incense-mountain , and when it has rained the incense 

 falls down and covers the ground in such quantities, that the people cannot 

 collect it all ( 2 ). Their chief stores up large quantities, in order to sellitto 

 the merchant-vessels that visit this place. It is the only country in the eastern 

 sea which produces cloves , which are useful for dispeiling bad humours, and 

 therefore Chinese merchants go in large numbers to trade there. 



C) We have seen tliis story sornewkere else, where it was clear that cloves were meant. 



