and Ch’e-li or Kiang-Hung (Xieng-Hung), in Yun-Nan,
on the right bank of the Mekong River. According
to Chinese tradition, the Pa-y descended from Muong
Tsiu-ch’u, ninth son of Ti Muong-tsiu, son of
Piao-tsiu-ti (Asoka). Deveria gives (p. 105) a
specimen of the Pa-y writing (16th century). (Deveria,
Front., 99, 117; Bourne, Report, p. 88.)
Chapter iv. of the Chinese work, Sze-i-kwan-k’ao,
is devoted to the Pa-y, including the sub-divisions
of Muong-Yang, Muong-Ting, Nan-tien, Tsien-ngai, Lung-chuen,
Wei-yuan, Wan-tien, Chen-k’ang, Ta-how, Mang-shi,
Kin-tung, Ho-tsin, Cho-lo tien. (Deveria, Mel. de
Harlez, p. 97.) I give a specimen of Pa-yi writing
from a Chinese work purchased by Father Amiot at Peking,
now in the Paris National Library (Fonds chinois, No.
986). (See on this scrip, F.W.K. Mueller,
T’oung-Pao, III. p. 1, and V. p. 329; E.H.
Parker, The Muong Language, China Review, I. 1891,
p. 267; P. Lefevre-Pontalis, Etudes sur quelques
alphabets et vocab. Thais, T’oung Pao,
III. pp. 39-64.)—H.C.
[Illustration: Pa-y script.]
These ethnological matters have to be handled cautiously,
for there is great ambiguity in the nomenclature.
Thus Man-tzu is often used generically for
aborigines, and the Lolos of Richthofen are
called Man-tzu by Garnier and Blakiston; whilst Lolo
again has in Yun-nan apparently a very comprehensive
generic meaning, and is so used by Garnier. (Richt.
Letter VII. 67-68 and MS. notes; Garnier,
I. 519 seqq. [T.W. Kingsmill, Han Wu-ti, China
Review, XXV. 103-109.])
[1] Ramusio alone has “a great salt lake.”
CONCERNING THE PROVINCE OF CARAJAN.
When you have passed that River you enter on the province
of CARAJAN, which is so large that it includes seven
kingdoms. It lies towards the west; the people
are Idolaters, and they are subject to the Great Kaan.
A son of his, however, is there as King of the country,
by name ESSENTIMUR; a very great and rich and puissant
Prince; and he well and justly rules his dominion,
for he is a wise man, and a valiant.
After leaving the river that I spoke of, you go five
days’ journey towards the west, meeting with
numerous towns and villages. The country is one
in which excellent horses are bred, and the people
live by cattle and agriculture. They have a language
of their own which is passing hard to understand.
At the end of those five days’ journey you come
to the capital, which is called YACHI, a very great
and noble city, in which are numerous merchants and
craftsmen.[NOTE 1]
The people are of sundry kinds, for there are not
only Saracens and Idolaters, but also a few Nestorian
Christians.[NOTE 2] They have wheat and rice in plenty.
Howbeit they never eat wheaten bread, because in that
country it is unwholesome.[NOTE 3] Rice they eat, and
make of it sundry messes, besides a kind of drink
which is very clear and good, and makes a man drunk
just as wine does.
