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1>39 BOKNEO. 155
P'o-ni m
39.
BORNEO.
floT^ «^).
P'o-ni is to the south-east of Ts'iian-chou; from Sho-p'o it is forty-five
5 days' journey; from San-fo-ts'i forty days' journey; from Chan-ch'ong and Ma-i
thirty days' journey in either case; all these distances are to be understood as
taken with a fair wind (i. e., with the north-east monsoon)
In this country, the city walls are made of wooden boards and the city
contains over ten thousand inhabitants. Under its control there are fourteen
10 districts (or cities ^|>| ).
The king's residence is covered with pe'i-to (^ ^)
ings of the people with grass.
\
leaves^; the dwell-
The king's mode of dressing is more or less like that of the Chinese.
"Wlien he does not wear clothes and goes barefooted, his upper arm is encircled
15 with a golden ring, his wrist with a golden silk band (^ ^), and his body is
wrapped in a piece of cotton cloth. He sits on a string bedstead {^ ^
charpoy). When he goes out, they spread out a large piece of cloth unlined
(H)*
on which he sits; a number of men bear it aloft; they call this ajuan-
'^(^''^9 (|^ ^) *- He is followed by over five hundred men, those in front
20 carrying single and double edged swords and other weapons, those behind
golden dishes filled with camphor and betel-nuts. He has for his protection
over an hundred fighting boats, and when they have an engagement, they
carry swords and wear armour. The latter is cast of copper and shaped like
great tubes, into which they insert their bodies so as to protect the stomach
25 and the back.
Their household vessels are often made of gold. The country produces
wheat, but hemp and rice, and they use sim-hu {j^ j^) for grain;
furthermore, they have sheep, fowl and fish, but no silkworms. They use
the floss of the U-pei (^ '^) plant to make cloth. They draw the sap from
30 the heart of the wei-pa (J^ Q), the Ua-mong (j|jp ^),
to make wine ^
and cocoanut trees
The wives and daughters in rich families wear sarongs of fancy brocades,
and of wmelted gold coloured silk» (^ ^ "^ ^)- As marriage presents they
first give wine, then betel-nuts, then a finger ring, and after this a gift of
35 cotton cloth or a sum of gold or silver, to complete the marriage rite.