Chau Ju-Kua - University of Oregon Libraries

96 cnoLA Dommox. I,i9
«This country is at war with the kingdoms of the west (of India?). The
government owns sixty thousand war-elephants, every one seven or eight
feet high. When fighting these elephants carry on their backs houses, and
these houses are full of soldiers who shoot arrows at long range, and fight
with spears at close quarters. When victorious, the elephants are granted 5
honorary names to signahze their merits.
«The inhabitants are hot-tempered and reckless of life; nay, in the
presence of the king they will fight man to man with swords and die without
regret)).
((Father and son, elder and younger brother, have their meals cooked 10
in separate kettles and served in separate dishes; yet they are deeply alive
to family duties»*.
The native products comprise pearls, elephants' tusks, coral, transparent
glass, betel nuts, cardamoms, opaque glass, cotton stuffs with coloured silk
threads (-^ ^ ^), and cotton stuffs.
Of quadrupeds they have goats and domestic cattle; of birds, pheasants
and parrots; of fruits, the yu-han (^ -y*) the fong-lo (|^ ^), Persian
dates {=f- ^ ^), cocoanuts, the Jcan-lo {-j^ ^), the ¥wn-lun plum (^
^ ;j