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Ma Tuan-lin, (Wen-Hsien-t'ung-k'ao) (1295)
(general study of the literary remains)
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Ethnographie des peuples etrangers a la Chine: ouvrage compose au XIIIe siecle de notre ere
by Ma-touan-lin - 1876 Translation of Wen hsien t'ung-k'ao. chuan 324-332.
On the western sea [Indian Ocean] there are markets where the traders do not see one another, the price being deposited by the side of the merchandise; they are called "spirit markets."
The country of Mo-lin is on the south west of the country of Yang-sa-lo crossing the great desert 2,000 li you come to this country. Its inhabitants are black and of ferocious manners. Cereals are scarce, and there is no vegetation in the way of shrubs and trees, horses are fed on dried fish, men eat hu-mang, that is, the Persian date. The country is very malarious. The hill tribes which one has to pass in pursuing the overland road of these countries, are of the same race. Of religions there are of several kinds: there is the Ta-shih, the Ta-ts'in, and the Hsun-hsun religion; The Hsun-hsun have most frequent illicit intercourse with barbarians, while eating they do not speak. Those who belong to the religion of Ta-shih have a rule by which brothers, children and other relatives may be impeached for crime without implicating their kin, even if the crime be brought home to them. They do not eat the flesh of pigs, dogs, donkeys, and horses, they do not prostrate or kneel down before the king, nor before father or mother, to show their veneration, they do not believe in spirits, and sacrifice to haven alone. Every seventh day is a holyday, when they will refrain from trade, and not go in our out, but drink wine and yield to dissipation till the day is finished. The Ta-ts'in are good physicians in eye diseases and diarrhea, whether by looking to matters before the disease has broken out or whether by extracting worms from the brain.
Note: Most of this text comes from Tu Yu (801) and Hsin-t'ang-shu (1060) and must have been outdated by 1295. The three religions talked about are 1;-Ta-shih : Muslim, 2;-Ta-ts'in: Monofysite Christians, 3;-Hsun-Hsun: traditional religion.
In 813 four T�sing ki noe were brought to China for the Emperor Yuan ho (806-820)
(Notice about the kingdom of) Tseng-tan, situated in the southern sea; at 2000 li from the coast. In the fourth of the years hi-ming (1171) in the days of the Sung dynasty, they sent for the first time an ambassador. When leaving this kingdom and through passing by Ou-sun (sohar), Kou-lin (Quilon) and San-fo-tsi(Palembang), one can, with no contrary winds, reach the port of Kouang-tscheou after hundred sixty days navigation. The king is called Ya-mei-lo-mei-lan. His family rules since five hundred years and ten generations. The language of his people resembles that of the Arabs. The climate is warm all year. The wealthy have white turbans and very nice clothes of flowered-pe-tie. They go forth riding elephants or on horseback. They have official salaries. Crimes are punished with the stick serious crimes with death. Of cereals they have rice, millet, and wheat. For food they eat fish. They have the following animals; elephants, camels, rhinos, horses, water-buffalo, buffalo, goats, sheep; they harvest putchuck, dragon�s blood, myrrh, asa-foetida, they gather borax, and they fish for pearls; they prepare three kinds of drinks called; wine of honey, wine of sand, wine of flowers. The government makes money consisting of three metals. Gold, Silver and Copper. It is strictly prohibited to reproduce them. In the sixth year of Youen-fong (1073), the big military chief called Tseng-kia-ni comes for the second time bringing tribute as ambassador for Tseng-tanu. The emperor Shou-tsung, considering the distance he had come, besides giving him the same presents which had been formerly bestowed on him, added 2000 ounces of silver.