But All The Rest
Of The Tract Is Mere Plunder From Varthema.[3]
There is, however, a like intimation in a curious letter respecting the
Portuguese discoveries, written from Lisbon in 1515,
By a German,
Valentine Moravia, who was probably the same Valentyn Fernandez, the
German, who published the Portuguese edition of Marco Polo at Lisbon in
1502, and who shows an extremely accurate conception of Indian geography.
He says: "La maxima insula la quale e chiamata da Marcho Polo Veneto Iava
Minor, et al presente si chiama Sumotra, da un emporie di dicta
insula" (printed by De Gubernatis, Viagg. Ita. etc., p. 170).
Several considerations point to the probability that the states of Pasei
and Sumatra had become united, and that the town of Sumatra may have been
represented by the Pacem of the Portuguese.[4] I have to thank Mr. G.
Phillips for the copy of a small Chinese chart showing the northern coast
of the island, which he states to be from "one of about the 13th century."
I much doubt the date, but the map is valuable as showing the town of
Sumatra (Sumantala). This seems to be placed in the Gulf of Pasei, and
very near where Pasei itself still exists. An extract of a "Chinese account
of about A.D. 1413" accompanied the map. This states that the town was
situated some distance up a river, so as to be reached in two tides. There
was a village at the mouth of the river called Talumangkin.[5]
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 564 of 1350
Words from 151018 to 151270
of 370046