, and the results were curious enough, as we shall
notice in next note but one. Marsden's observations are so just that I
have followed Pauthier in substituting Champa for Java in the text.
NOTE 2.--There is no reason to doubt that these islands are the group now
known as that of PULO CONDORE, in old times an important landmark, and
occasional point of call, on the route to China. The group is termed
_Sundar Fulat_ (_Fulat_ representing the Malay _Pulo_ or Island, in the
plural) in the Arab _Relations_ of the 9th century, the last point of
departure on the voyage to China, from which it was a month distant. This
old record gives us the name _Sondor_; in modern times we have it as
_Kondor_; Polo combines both names. ["These may also be the 'Satyrs'
Islands' of Ptolemy, or they may be his _Sindai_; for he has a _Sinda_
city on the coast close to this position, though his Sindai islands are
dropt far away. But it would not be difficult to show that Ptolemy's
islands have been located almost at random, or as from a pepper castor."
(_Yule_, _Oldest Records_, p. 657.)] The group consists of a larger island
about 12 miles long, two of 2 or 3 miles, and some half-dozen others of
insignificant dimensions. The large one is now specially called Pulo
Condore. It has a fair harbour, fresh water, and wood in abundance.
Dampier visited the group and recommended its occupation. The E.I.
Company did establish a post there in 1702, but it came to a speedy end in
the massacre of the Europeans by their Macassar garrison. About the year
1720 some attempt to found a settlement there was also made by the French,
who gave the island the name of _Isle d'Orleans_. The celebrated Pere
Gaubil spent eight months on the island and wrote an interesting letter
about it (February, 1722; see also _Lettres Edifiantes_, Rec. xvi.). When
the group was visited by Mr. John Crawford on his mission to Cochin China
the inhabitants numbered about 800, of Cochin Chinese descent. The group
is now held by the French under Saigon. The chief island is known to the
Chinese as the mountain of Kunlun. There is another cluster of rocks in
the same sea, called the Seven Cheu, and respecting these two groups
Chinese sailors have a kind of _Incidit-in-Scyllan_ saw:--
"_Shang p'a Tsi-cheu, hia-pa Kun-lun,
Chen mi t'uo shih, jin chuen mo tsun._"[1]
Meaning:--
"With Kunlun to starboard, and larboard the Cheu,
Keep conning your compass, whatever you do,
Or to
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