The Bonus of the G.T. here is another example of Marco’s use, probably unconscious, of an Oriental word.  It is Persian Abnus, Ebony, which has passed almost unaltered into the Spanish Abenuz.  We find Ibenus also in a French inventory (Douet d’Arcq, p. 134), but the Bonus seems to indicate that the word as used by the Traveller was strange to Rusticiano.  The word which he uses for pen-cases too, Calamanz, is more suggestive of the Persian Kalamdan than of the Italian Calamajo.

“Ebony is very common in this country (Champa), but the wood which is the most precious, and which is sufficiently abundant, is called ‘Eagle-wood,’ of which the first quality sells for its weight in gold; the native name Kinam,” (Bishop Louis in J.A.S.B.  VI. 742; Dr. Birdwood, in the Bible Educator, I. 243; Crawford’s Dict.)

CHAPTER VI.

CONCERNING THE GREAT ISLAND OF JAVA.

When you sail from Chamba, 1500 miles in a course between south and south-east, you come to a great Island called Java.  And the experienced mariners of those Islands who know the matter well, say that it is the greatest Island in the world, and has a compass of more than 3000 miles.  It is subject to a great King and tributary to no one else in the world.  The people are Idolaters.  The Island is of surpassing wealth, producing black pepper, nutmegs, spikenard, galingale, cubebs, cloves, and all other kinds of spices.

[Illustration:  View in the Interior of Java.

“Une grandissune Ysle qe est avelle Java.  Ceste Ysle est de mont grant richesse.”]

This Island is also frequented by a vast amount of shipping, and by merchants who buy and sell costly goods from which they reap great profit.  Indeed the treasure of this Island is so great as to be past telling.  And I can assure you the Great Kaan never could get possession of this Island, on account of its great distance, and the great expense of an expedition thither.  The merchants of Zayton and Manzi draw annually great returns from this country.[NOTE 1]

NOTE 1.—­Here Marco speaks of that Pearl of Islands, Java.  The chapter is a digression from the course of his voyage towards India, but possibly he may have touched at the island on his previous expedition, alluded to in note 2, ch. v.  Not more, for the account is vague, and where particulars are given not accurate.  Java does not produce nutmegs or cloves, though doubtless it was a great mart for these and all the products of the Archipelago.  And if by treasure he means gold, as indeed Ramusio reads, no gold is found in Java.  Barbosa, however, has the same story of the great amount of gold drawn from Java; and De Barros says that Sunda, i.e.  Western Java, which the Portuguese regarded as a distinct island, produced inferior gold of 7 carats, but that pepper was the staple, of which the annual supply was more than 30,000 cwt. (Ram. I. 318-319; De Barros, Dec.  IV. liv. i. cap. 12.)