II. p. 27
seqq.; Taylor's Catalogue Raisonne, III. 386-389.)
Ma'bar is mentioned (Ma-pa-'rh) in the Chinese Annals as one of the
foreign kingdoms which sent tribute to Kublai in 1286 (supra, p. 296);
and Pauthier has given some very curious and novel extracts from Chinese
sources regarding the diplomatic intercourse with Ma'bar in 1280 and the
following years. Among other points these mention the "five brothers who
were Sultans" (Suantan), an envoy Chamalating (Jumaluddin) who had
been sent from Ma'bar to the Mongol Court, etc. (See pp. 603 seqq.)
NOTE 2. - Marco's account of the pearl-fishery is still substantially
correct. Bettelar, the rendezvous of the fishery, was, I imagine, PATLAM
on the coast of Ceylon, called by Ibn Batuta Batthala. Though the centre
of the pearl-fishery is now at Aripo and Kondachi further north, its site
has varied sometimes as low as Chilaw, the name of which is a corruption
of that given by the Tamuls, Salabham, which means "the Diving," i.e.
the Pearl-fishery. Tennent gives the meaning erroneously as "the Sea of
Gain." I owe the correction to Dr. Caldwell. (Ceylon, I. 440; Pridham,
409; Ibn Bat. IV. 166; Ribeyro, ed. Columbo, 1847, App. p. 196.)
[Ma Huan (J. North China B.R.A.S. XX. p. 213) says that "the King (of
Ceylon) has had an [artificial] pearl pond dug, into which every two or
three years he orders pearl oysters to be thrown, and he appoints men to
keep watch over it.
