Note 2.
[Chao Ju-kua (transl. in German by Dr. F. Hirth, T'oung Pao, V. Supp. p.
40), a Chinese Official of the Sung Dynasty, says regarding Kish: "The
land of Ki-shih (Kish) lies upon a rocky island in the sea, in sight of
the coast of Ta-shih, at half-a-day's journey. There are but four towns in
its territories. When the King shows himself out of doors, he rides a
horse under a black canopy, with an escort of 100 servants. The
inhabitants are white and of a pure race and eight Chinese feet tall. They
wear under a Turban their hair loose partly hanging on their neck. Their
dress consists of a foreign jacket and a light silk or cotton overcoat,
with red leather shoes. They use gold and silver coins. Their food
consists of wheaten bread, mutton, fish and dates; they do not eat rice.
The country produces pearls and horses of a superior quality." - H.C.]
[Illustration: A Persian Wind-Catcher.]
The Turkish Admiral Sidi 'Ali, who was sent in 1553 to command the Ottoman
fleet in the Persian Gulf, and has written an interesting account of his
disastrous command and travels back to Constantinople from India, calls
the Island Kais, or "the old Hormuz." This shows that the traditions of
the origin of the island of Hormuz had grown dim. Kish had preceded
Hormuz as the most prominent port of Indian trade, but old Hormuz, as we
have seen (Bk.
