Chau Ju-Kua - University of Oregon Libraries

118 THE AKABS. 1,22
captured. He replied, «To capture elephants, we use decoy elephants to get
so near them that we can catch them with a big lasso. To capture a rhino-
ceros, a man with a bow and arrow climbs a big tree, where he watches for
the animal until he can shoot and kill it. The young (rhinoceros) are not
shot as they can be caught». 5
The envoy was presented with a court dress, a hat and girdle, and,
besides these, with as much gold as the tribute presents were worth '^
In the third year of the yung-hi period (A. D. 986) envoys of the Ta-shi
came to Court with a mission from the Pin-t'ung-lung country "•
In the sixth year Men-p'ing (A. D. 1003) they sent Ma-ni and others lo
(Hfi Jg ^) with tribute of pearls and a request that return presents should
not be made them. Although the Emperor Chon-tsung did not want to
disregard their wish, when the envoys started on their homeward journey
they were dismissed with extraordinary honours ^''.
In the first year Jcmg-to (A. D. 1004) the (Arab) envoy remained behind is
at the capital, together with the envoys from San-fo-ts'i and P'u-kan, to
celebrate the Feast of Lanterns, on which occasion they were treated to their
heart's content with money and wine (^ ^ |^ -^) *^
In the fourth year (A. D. 1007) they accompanied a tribute mission
from Chan-ch'ong, and were on this occassion entertained with most parti- 20
€ular attention, and also allowed to visit the Buddhist and Tauist temples
9,nd the Imperial gardens and parks (^ g|) *^
During the ta-chung siang-fu period (A. D. 1008— 1017), while the
Emperor was absent in the eastern part of the Empire for sacrificial pur-
poses, the chief T'o-p'o-li (^ ^^ "^f ) expressed the wish to be'allowed to 25
present his tribute presents in person (to the Emperor) on the T'ai-shan
(where he had gone to sacrifice). He was allowed to do so ^.
In the fourth year (of the same period, i. e., 1011), while the Emperor had
gone to F6n-yin (f^ ^) to make sacrifices, the envoy (T'o-p'o-li) came
again, and was ordered by the Emperor to follow the Court**. 80
According- to an old tradition told in, Kuang-ch6u (Canton), there was
a man from the Ta-shi country by the name of Wu-si-hu-lu-hua (fe ^
M' ^ ^-)' ^^^ ^^^ attained to the age of an hundred and thirty years. He
had double ear-beadings and an extraordinarily imposing aspect. He himself
Stated that long ago, impelled by his high regard for the civilization of the 35
Empire, he had embarked on a ship of the Ku-lo ("^ ^) country and had
made the journey to China. The Emperor presented him with a brocade
gown and a silver girdle, to" which he added a piece of silk^^