[Mr. Baber (Travels, pp. 39, 40) writes:
“A special interest attaches to the wild oxen,
since they are unknown in any other part of China Proper.
From a Lolo chief and his followers, most enthusiastic
hunters, I afterwards learnt that the cattle are met
with in herds of from seven to twenty head in the
recesses of the Wilderness, which may be defined as
the region between the T’ung River and Yachou,
but that in general they are rarely seen....
I was lucky enough to obtain a pair of horns and part
of the hide of one of these redoubtable animals, which
seem to show that they are a kind of bison.”
Sir H. Yule remarks in a footnote (Ibid. p. 40):
“It is not possible to say from what is stated
here what the species is, but probably it is a gavoeus,
of which Jerdan describes three species. (See
Mammals of India, pp. 301-307.) Mr. Hodgson
describes the Gaur (Gavoeus gaurus of Jerdan)
of the forests below Nepaul as fierce and revengeful.”—H.C.]
CONCERNING THE PROVINCE OF CAINDU.
CAINDU is a province lying towards the west,[NOTE
1] and there is only one king in it. The people
are Idolaters, subject to the Great Kaan, and they
have plenty of towns and villages. [The chief city
is also called Caindu, and stands at the upper end
of the province.] There is a lake here,[1] in which
are found pearls [which are white but not round].
But the Great Kaan will not allow them to be fished,
for if people were to take as many as they could find
there, the supply would be so vast that pearls would
lose their value, and come to be worth nothing.
Only when it is his pleasure they take from the lake
so many as he may desire; but any one attempting to
take them on his own account would be incontinently
put to death.
There is also a mountain in this country wherein they
find a kind of stone called turquoise, in great abundance;
and it is a very beautiful stone. These also
the Emperor does not allow to be extracted without
his special order.[NOTE 2]
I must tell you of a custom that they have in this
country regarding their women. No man considers
himself wronged if a foreigner, or any other man,
dishonour his wife, or daughter, or sister, or any
woman of his family, but on the contrary he deems
such intercourse a piece of good fortune. And
they say that it brings the favour of their gods and
idols, and great increase of temporal prosperity.
For this reason they bestow their wives on foreigners
and other people as I will tell you.
When they fall in with any stranger in want of a lodging
they are all eager to take him in. And as soon
as he has taken up his quarters the master of the
house goes forth, telling him to consider everything
at his disposal, and after saying so he proceeds to
his vineyards or his fields, and comes back no more
till the stranger has departed. The latter abides
in the caitiffs house, be it three days or be it four,
enjoying himself with the fellow’s wife or daughter
or sister, or whatsoever woman of the family it best
likes him; and as long as he abides there he leaves
his hat or some other token hanging at the door, to
let the master of the house know that he is still
there. As long as the wretched fellow sees that
token, he must not go in. And such is the custom
over all that province. [NOTE 3]
