e Rakshasas of the adjacent group?

"Si est de saint Brandon le matere furnie;
Qui fu si pres d'enfer, a nef et a galie,
Que deable d'enfer issirent, par maistrie,
Getans brandons de feu, pour lui faire hasquie."
--_Bauduin de Seboure_, I. 123.

(_Ramusio_, III. 391; _Ham._ II. 65; _Navarrete_ (Fr. Ed.), II. 101;
_Cathay_, 467; _Bullet. de la Soc. de Geog._ ser. IV. tom iii. 36-37;
_J.A.S.B._ u.s.; _Reinaud's Abulfeda_, I. 315; _J. Ind. Arch._, N.S.,
III. I. 105; _La Porte Ouverte_, p. 188.) [I shall refer to my edition of
_Odoric_, 206-217, for a long notice on dog-headed barbarians; I
reproduce here two of the cuts.--H.C.]

CHAPTER XIV.

CONCERNING THE ISLAND OF SEILAN.

When you leave the Island of Angamanain and sail about a thousand miles in
a direction a little south of west, you come to the Island of SEILAN,
[NOTE 1] which is in good sooth the best Island of its size in the world.
You must know that it has a compass of 2400 miles, but in old times it was
greater still, for it then had a circuit of about 3600 miles, as you find
in the charts of the mariners of those seas. But the north wind there
blows with such strength that it has caused the sea to submerge a large
part of the Island; and that is the reason why it is not so big now as it
used to be. For you must know that, on the side where the north wind
strikes, the Island is very low and flat, insomuch that in approaching on
board ship from the high seas you do not see the land till you are right
upon it.[NOTE 2] Now I will tell you all about this Island.

[Illustration: MAP to Illustrate POLO'S Chapters on India
MAP to Illustrate POLO's Chapters on the Malay Countries]

They have a king there whom they call SENDEMAIN, and are tributary to
nobody.[NOTE 3] The people are Idolaters, and go quite naked except that
they cover the middle. They have no wheat, but have rice, and sesamum of
which they make their oil. They live on flesh and milk, and have tree-wine
such as I have told you of. And they have brazil-wood, much the best in
the world.[NOTE 4]

Now I will quit these particulars, and tell you of the most precious
article that exists in the world. You must know that rubies are found in
this Island and in no other country in the world but this. They find there
also sapphires and topazes and amethysts, and many other stones of price.
And the King of this Island possesses a ruby which is the finest and
biggest in the world; I will t