Ivory, Rhinoceros Horns, Castoreum, Civet, Parrots

36. IVORY

Siang-ya, or ivory, comes from several Arab countries and the two countries of Chonla India and South Vietnam.

The Arab product is better and is found most in Malomo.

The elephant lives in the depths of the hills and the remotest valleys. But every now and then, it ventures into the plains.

Elephant hunters use poisoned arrows and bows of extraordinary strength. When hit by an arrow, the elephant runs away but dies after a li or two.

The hunters follow it, remove the tusks from the carcass and bury them in the ground.

When 10 tusks or more have been collected, they are brought to the Arabs who ship them to Sumatra and Jiloting for barter.

Large specimens weigh from 50-100 catties. The straight and white tusks with delicate streaks come from Arabia.

The produce of Cambodia and Southern Vietnam are small tusks of a reddish tint, weighing only 10-20 catties.

The tips of tusks are made into scent holders.

37. Rhinoceros Horns

The si or rhinoceros resembles the domestic cattle with one horn.

Its skin is black and its hair scanty. Its tongue is like the burr of a chestnut. It is fierce and violent in temper.

It runs so fast like it were flying.

It only eats bamboo and other woods.

He rips up a man with his horn.

Hunters shoot him with a stiff arrow from afar.

• A fresh horn comes from a hunted rhinoceros.
• A dropped-in-the-hills horn comes from those which died from a natural death

The horn bears marks like bubbles. The horns which are more white than black are the best.

38. Castoreum, Civet

The wunatsi drug comes from Kieliki of the Arabs. The civet’s legs are as long as those of a dog. Its colour is either red or black. It moves as if it were flying.

Hunters stretch nets near the sea-shore to catch it.

What is taken from its scrotum and mixed with oil is called wunatsi.

Brunei is the only foreign country where it very abundant.

39. KINGFISHERS’ FEATHERS

Tsui-mau, or kingfisliers’ feathers, are got in great quantities in Cambodia, where (the birds) are brought forth the depths of the hills.

Each pond is the home of just one male and one female bird. The intrusion of a third bird always ends in a duel to the death.

The natives take advantage of this peculiarity. They rear decoy birds, and walk around with one sitting on the raised left hand.

The birds in their nests notice the intruder, and fly to the bird to fight it. They ignore the man, who with his right hand, covers them with a net.

The river Ku in Yung-chou is also the habitat of a bird called jung-tsui (downy kingfisher). It is covered with soft blue feathers all over the back, which are used by luxurious people as an ornament.

The feathers are twisted and woven into each other so as to resemble long nap satin.

Recently, this luxury has been forbidden by the government. But the well-to-do classes still continue to add it to their dress. This is why foreign traders defy the law and smuggle them in the cotton lining of their clothes.

40. Parrots

Yingwu are procured in South Vietnam where they are found of all colours.

In the time of the emperor T’ai-tsung of the T’ang dynasty (AD 627 — 650), it was first presented to our Court by Huan-wang.

In the Annals the birds did not take the cold so well, and so the Emperor gave orders to return them to their home.

The country of Huan-wang is the same as South Vietnam.

In Kin-chou, both white and red ying-wu are found of the size of small geese.

Birds with plumage covered with dust like the wings of a butterfly are called «white ying-im» ; those showing deep scarlet colour with a tail resembling that of a black kite are called red ying-wu.