ton, but from that age to 20 years the produce is inferior.[NOTE 3]

[Illustration: Mediaeval Architecture in Guzerat. (From Fergusson.)]

They dress in this country great numbers of skins of various kinds,
goat-skins, ox-skins, buffalo and wild ox-skins, as well as those of
unicorns and other animals. In fact so many are dressed every year as to
load a number of ships for Arabia and other quarters. They also work here
beautiful mats in red and blue leather, exquisitely inlaid with figures of
birds and beasts, and skilfully embroidered with gold and silver wire.
These are marvellously beautiful things; they are used by the Saracens to
sleep upon, and capital they are for that purpose. They also work cushions
embroidered with gold, so fine that they are worth six marks of silver a
piece, whilst some of those sleeping-mats are worth ten marks.[NOTE 4]

NOTE 1.--Again we note the topographical confusion. Guzerat is mentioned
as if it were a province adjoining Malabar, and before arriving at Tana,
Cambay, and Somnath; though in fact it includes those three cities, and
Cambay was then its great mart. Wassaf, Polo's contemporary, perhaps
acquaintance, speaks of Gujarat which is commonly called Kambayat.
(_Elliot_, III. 31.)

NOTE 2.--["The origin of the name [_Tamarina_] is curious. It is Ar.
_tamar-u'l-Hind_, 'date of India,' or perhaps rather, in Persian form,
_tamar-i-Hindi_. It is possible that the original name may have been
_thamar_, ('fruit') of India, rather than _tamar_, ('date')."
(_Hobson-Jobson_.)]

NOTE 3.--The notice of pepper here is hard to explain. But Hiuen Tsang
also speaks of Indian pepper and incense (see next chapter) as grown at
_'Ochali_ which seems to be some place on the northern border of Guzerat
(II. 161).

Marsden, in regard to the cotton, supposes here some confused introduction
of the silk-cotton tree (_Bombax_ or _Salmalia_, the Semal of Hindustan),
but the description would be entirely inapplicable to that great forest
tree. It is remarkable that nearly the same statement with regard to
Guzerat occurs in Rashiduddin's sketch of India, as translated in Sir H.
Elliot's _History of India_ (_ed. by Professor Dowson_, I. 67): "Grapes
are produced twice during the year, and the strength of the soil is such
that cotton-plants grow like willows and plane-trees, and yield produce
ten years running." An author of later date, from whom extracts are given
in the same work, viz., Mahommed Masum in h