Freiburger historische Bestände - digital

Java Minor.

Java Major.

Java minor dife jnfel hat umb-
fangen 2,000 welfch meil und hat in
ir acht konikreich und haben ein
besundere Sprach und betten abgotter
an do wechft auch allerlei Specerey
jn den konikreich bq/sman genant find
man vil ainhorner helfanten und affen
die menschen angeficht und glidtmafs
haben jtem wech/l kain korn da fy
machen aber prot aufs reis an wein-
/latt trinken fy fafft der aus paumen
tropft den man findt rot und weifs
und ift ain redlich guet getranck von
gefchmackh defs haben fy nach not-
turfft genug in dem konikreich Samara
aber in konikreich genanth Dageram
ift gewonheit fo ir abgott sagt dafs
ein krancker menfch fterben foil so
erftirket man dea kranckhen bey zeit
und die freundt kochen dag flaifsch irs
krancken freundt und efsen jne mit
einander mit grofsen freudten auf
dafs er den Wurmen nit zuthail werde.
Aber in konikreich Jamibri haben die
leutt man und frawen hinden fchwenz
gleich die hundt do wechft uber
trefflich vil Specerey und allerlei thier
alfs ainhdrner und andere jm andern
konikreich fanfur do wechft der befl
camphor in der welt den man mit golt
abwigt dafelbft find gross gewachfen
paumen da zwifchen holz und rinden
aufs dem Safft mehl wiirdt dafs guet
zu efsen ift und marco polo fchreibt in
feinem dritten buch am dem 16.
Capittel er fey fiinf monath in difer
jnfell geweft (J 42 s).

Java Minor. This island has a
circumference of 2,000 Italian miles,
and within it are eight kingdoms.
They have a language of their own
and worship idols. Various kinds
of spices grow there. In the kingdom
of Bosman are found many
unicorns (rhinoceros), elephants and
monkeys, who have human faces
and limbs. No corn grows there,
but they make bread of rice, and
instead of wine they drink the sap
which trickles from trees ; it is found
red and white, and furnishes a tasty
good drink, of which they have as
much as they need in Semara. In
the kingdom of Dageran it is the
custom that when their idol says
that a sick person is about to die
they suffocate the patient in time,
and his friends cook the flesh of
their sick friend and eat it with
much rejoicing in order that the
worms may not have it. But in the
kingdom of Jambri men and women
have tails like dogs. Excellent
spices grow there and various
animals are found, such as unicorns
and others. In the kingdom of
Fanfur is found the best camphor
in the world, which is worth its
weight in gold ; there are tall trees,
the sap of which, between the wood
and the bark, is converted into
flour (sago), which is good to eat.
Marco Polo, in the 16th chapter of
the third book, says that he spent
five months in this island. (M.
Polo's five months refer to Samara
only.)

The Java Minor of Marco Polo is Sumatra. The
information given in the above legend is derived from
Pipino's version book III. 13-19. The reference to a five
months' residence is to be found in c. 16 as stated. The
eight kings are made to dwell in four tents. The little
monkey on the south coast is referred to in c. 15.

felech (J 36 s) (perta or pertes of Jom and Ghil), called
ferlach in Pipino's version, has been identified with Perlak.

bofna (J 36) (Pipino's bosman, the basma of others) has
been identified with Paseir, on the north coast.

fama, Samara (J 39 s), corrupted by Ghil into fomat,
the modern Samalanga on the north coast.

dragojan (J 41 s), called dageram in a legend, corrupted
by Jom and Ghil into reagasio or reagario. Yule places it
near Pedir.

lambri (J 38 s), Jomard's Cambia, a place on the west
coast, south of Achin.

fanfur (J 40 s), or more correctly fanl'ur, the modern
Baros on the west coast.

camba (J 38 s) is not named by Marco Polo, but shown
by Jom and Ghil. It may be a duplicating lambri.

Java major (K 17 s), with a royal tent; mod. Borneo.

vilangat (K 21).

fidama (K 27).

foipo (K 22), Ghil: Scipo.

On the coast a pfeffer wait (K 25 s) or " Pepper woods."
It need hardly be mentioned that the plant yielding our
pepper is a creeper or a climbing plant.

Jtem aljs man aujs des grofen
koniks in cathay landt von dem
konikreich ciamba gege orient genant
fahrt 1,500 welfcher meiln,fo kumbt
man in dife jnfell gefaren genant
Jaua major die hat umbfangen 3,000
welfche meiln der konik difer jnfell
ift niemandt unterworffen und petn
abgotter an man findt auf difer jnfell
allerley specerey alfs pfeffer mufcat
pluet fpinart galgan cubebon gario-
filli negel zimeth und allerlei wurz
vaft diejenigen die man da verkauft
damach aufsthailt in alle welt darum
gewonlich vil kaufleufh dafelbft
%en(K16s).

If one sails out of the kingdom
Ciamba, which is in the country of
the great King of Cathai, 1,500
Italian miles to the east, one
arrives at this island, called Java
Major, which has a circumference
of 3,000 Italian miles. The King of
this island is subject to no one; the
inhabitants worship idols. Various
spices, such as pepper, mace, spikenard
, galangale [which yields a kind
of ginger], cubebs, caryophylli [and]
cloves, cinnamon abound, and those
sold are afterwards distributed
throughout the world, for which
reason many merchants are generally
to be found there.

The following legend stands between Java Major and
Neucuran :—

In difen jnfeln wachfen vil rubin
smarackhen tepaffen und saffiren auch
perlein oriental faft vil (J 20 s).

In these islands grow many rubies,
emeralds, topazes, sapphires, and
oriental pearls in plenty.

Java Major may safely be identified with Borneo,
known to the natives, according to Sir Thos. Stamford
Raffels ('The History of Java,' Lond., 1817, I., p. 1), as
Gana or Nusa Jawa, the land or island of Java.

The contents of the first legend are wholly derived
from Marco Polo (Pipino's version III 10), with only
this exception, that the famous traveller does not include
cinnamon among the products of the island.

Pentan.

Jn/ula pentan, Jnfel pentan, with a royal tent (J 27 s).

Als man fegelt vom konikreich
genant loach gegen mittagwarz kumbt
man in dife jnfel pentan in der grojs
waldt und von koftlich gefchmakh
[geruch, odoris] das moer hier umb
isL niederer uber zehen fchritt difs
fchreibt marco polo am 9 capitel im
drittem buch dafs volkh geht alles
nacket (J 17 s).

If you sail from the kingdom of
Loach to the southward, you reach
this island Pentan, where there are
large forests of delicious perfume.
The sea around is less than ten
paces deep. Thus writes Marco
Polo in the 9th chapter of the
third book. All the inhabitants go
naked.

Pentan has been identified by Marsden and Yule with
Binteng in the Strait of Malacca.

Behaim in this instance quotes Ramusio's version.
Marco Polo gives the sea a depth of four fathoms
(Pipino: pasfus) or 20 feet; he says nothing about the
people going about naked.