o Aden goes
on to Alexandria, but the ships that go in the latter direction are not
one to ten of those that go to the eastward; a very notable fact that I
have mentioned before.

Now I have told you about the kingdom of Melibar; we shall now proceed and
tell you of the kingdom of Gozurat. And you must understand that in
speaking of these kingdoms we note only the capitals; there are great
numbers of other cities and towns of which we shall say nothing, because
it would make too long a story to speak of all.

NOTE 1.--Here is another instance of that confusion which dislocates
Polo's descriptions of the Indian coast; we shall recur to it under ch.
xxx.

Malabar is a name given by the Arabs, and varies in its form: Ibn Batuta
and Kazwini write it [Arabic], _al-Malibar_, Edrisi and Abulfeda [Arabic],
_al-Manibar_, etc., and like variations occur among the old European
travellers. The country so-called corresponded to the _Kerala_ of the
Brahmans, which in its very widest sense extended from about lat. 15 deg.
to Cape Comorin. This, too, seems to be the extension which Abulfeda gives
to Malabar, viz., from Hunawar to Kumhari; Rashiduddin includes Sindabur,
i.e. Goa. But at a later date a point between Mt. d'Ely and Mangalore on
the north, and Kaulam on the south, were the limits usually assigned to
Malabar.

NOTE 2.--"_Il font_ eschiel _en la mer_" (G.T.). _Eschiel_ is the
equivalent of the Italian _schera_ or _schiera_, a troop or squadron, and
thence applied to order of battle, whether by land or sea.

NOTE 3.--The northern part of Malabar, Canara, and the Konkan, have been
nests of pirates from the time of the ancients to a very recent date.
Padre Paolino specifies the vicinity of Mt. d'Ely as a special haunt of
them in his day, the latter half of last century. Somewhat further north
Ibn Batuta fell into their hands, and was stripped to his drawers.

NOTE 4.--There is something to be said about these Malabar spices. The
cinnamon of Malabar is what we call cassia, the _canella grossa_ of Conti,
the _canela brava_ of the Portuguese. Notices of it will be found in
_Rheede_ (I. 107) and in _Garcia_ (f. 26 seqq.). The latter says the
Ceylon cinnamon exceeded it in value as 4:1. Uzzano discriminates
_canella_ lunga, _Salami_, and _Mabari_. The _Salami_, I have no doubt, is
_Sailani_, Ceylonese; and as we do not hear of any cassia from Mabar,
probably the last was _Malabar_ cinnamon.

_Turbit: Radex Turpethi_ is stil