The chief exports now are tea and
sugar, which are largely grown in the vicinity, tobacco, china-ware,
nankeens, etc. There are still to be seen (as I learn from Mr. Phillips)
the ruins of a fine mosque, said to have been founded by the Arab traders
who resorted thither. The English Presbyterian Church Mission has had a
chapel in the city for about ten years.
Zayton, we have seen from Ibn Batuta's report, was famed for rich satins
called Zaituniah. I have suggested in another work (Cathay, p. 486)
that this may be the origin of our word Satin, through the Zettani of
mediaeval Italian (or Aceytuni of mediaeval Spanish). And I am more
strongly disposed to support this, seeing that Francisque-Michel, in
considering the origin of Satin, hesitates between Satalin from
Satalia in Asia Minor and Soudanin from the Soudan or Sultan; neither
half so probable as Zaituni. I may add that in a French list of charges
of 1352 we find the intermediate form Zatony. Satin in the modern form
occurs in Chaucer: -
"In Surrie whilom dwelt a compagnie
Of chapmen rich, and therto sad and trewe,
That wide where senten their spicerie,
Clothes of gold, and satins riche of hewe."
- Man of Lawe's Tale, st. 6.
[Hatzfeld (Dict.) derives satin from the Italian setino; and
setino from SETA, pig's hair, and gives the following example: "Deux
aunes et un quartier de satin vremeil," in Caffiaux, Abattis de maisons a
Gommegnies, p. 17, 14th century. The Portuguese have setim. But I
willingly accept Sir Henry Yule's suggestion that the origin of the word
is Zayton; cf. zeitun [Arabic] olive.
"The King [of Bijanagar] ... was clothed in a robe of zaitun satin."
(Elliot, IV. p. 113, who adds in a note zaitun: Olive-coloured?) And
again (Ibid. p. 120): "Before the throne there was placed a cushion of
zaituni satin, round which three rows of the most exquisite pearls were
sewn." - H.C.]
(Recherches, etc., II. 229 seqq.; Martini, circa p. 110; Klaproth,
Mem. II. 209-210; Cathay, cxciii. 268, 223, 355, 486; Empoli in
Append. vol. iii. 87 to Archivio Storico Italiano; Douet d'Arcq. p.
342; Galv., Discoveries of the World, Hak. Soc. p. 129; Marsden, 1st ed.
p. 372; Appendix to Trade Report of Amoy, for 1868 and 1900. [Heyd,
Com. Levant, II. 701-702.])
NOTE 3. - We have referred in a former note (ch. lxxvii. note 7) to an
apparent change in regard to the Chinese consumption of pepper, which is
now said to be trifling. We shall see in the first chapter of Bk. III.
that Polo estimates the tonnage of Chinese junks by the number of baskets
of pepper they carried, and we have seen in last note the large estimate
by Giov. d'Empoli of the quantity that went to China in 1515.
