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.

bird; the intrusion of in nests built

Each pond is the home by the side of lakes or ponds in of just one male and one female a third bird always ends in a duel to the death. The natives taking advantage of this peculiarity, rear decoy birds, and walk about with 30 one sitting on the truder, of the make left hand raised. for the (bird on the) The hand birds in their nests noticing the in- to fight it, quite ignoring the presence man, who, with his right hand, covers them with a them prisoners without and thus makes fail.

The river Ku in Yung-ch6u( 35 jung-ts’ui net, ^ downy is also the habitat of a bird called kingfisher), covered with soft blue feathers all over the back, which are used by luxurious people as an ornament, ihe feathers being twisted and woven into each other so as to resemble long nap satin Although, of late years, the use of this luxury has been . by the govemmeiit, the well-to-do classes 40 for it which in still by concealing it in the cotton lining of their clothes. g). strictly forbidden continue to add reason foreign traders, in defiance of the law, (^ it to their dress, manage to smuggle236 11,39-40 PARROTS.

40. Parrots

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

the kind of bird which, in the time of the emperor T’ai-tsung of the T’ang dynasty (A. D. 627 — 650), wang. In the Annals they are said for doing was presented to to our Court by Huan- have been able to complain of cold, which the Emperor gave orders to return them to their home. The 25 country of Huan-wang Jn K’in-ch6u size m M)- is the same as South Vietnam. both white and red ying-wu are found of the 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-wm. 30