The subject of the last part of this paragraph, recurred to in the next, has been misunderstood and corrupted in Pauthier’s text, and partially in Ramusio’s. These make the _escuillés_ or _escoilliez_ (vide _Ducange_ in v. _Escodatus_, and _Raynouard, Lex. Rom._ VI. 11) into _scholars_ and what not. But on comparison of the passages in those two editions with the Geographic Text one cannot doubt the correct reading. As to the fact that Bengal had an evil notoriety for this traffic, especially the province of Silhet, see the _Ayeen Akbery_, II. 9–11, _Barbosa’s _chapter on Bengal, and _De Barros_ (_Ramusio_ I. 316 and 391). On the cheapness of slaves in Bengal, see _Ibn Batuta_, IV. 211–212. He says people from Persia used to call Bengal _Dúzakh pur-i ni’amat_, “a hell crammed with good things,” an appellation perhaps provoked by the official style often applied to it of _Jannat-ul-balád_ or “Paradise of countries.” Professor H. Blochmann, who is, in admirable essays, redeeming the long neglect of the history and archæology of Bengal Proper by our own countrymen, says that one of the earliest passages, in which the name _Bangálah_ occurs, is in a poem of Hafiz, sent from Shiraz to Sultan Ghiássuddín, who reigned in Bengal from 1367 to 1373. Its occurrence in our text, however, shows that the name was in use among the Mahomedan foreigners (from whom Polo derived his nomenclature) nearly a century earlier. And in fact it occurs (though corruptly in some MSS.) in the history of Rashiduddin, our author’s contemporary. (See _Elliot_, I. p. 72.) NOTE 2.—“Big as elephants” is only a _façon de parler_, but Marsden quotes modern exaggerations as to the height of the _Arna_ or wild buffalo, more specific and extravagant. The unimpeachable authority of Mr. Hodgson tells us that the Arna in the Nepal Tarai sometimes does reach a height of 6 ft. 6 in. at the shoulder, with a length of 10 ft. 6 in. (excluding tail), and horns of 6 ft. 6 in. (_J. A. S. B._, XVI. 710.) Marco, however, seems to be speaking of _domestic_ cattle. Some of the breeds of Upper India are very tall and noble animals, far surpassing in height any European oxen known to me; but in modern times these are rarely seen in Bengal, where the cattle are poor and stunted. The _Aín Akbari_, however, speaks of Sharífábád in Bengal, which appears to have corresponded to modern Bardwán, as producing very beautiful white oxen, of great size, and capable of carrying a load of 15 _mans_, which at Prinsep’s estimate of Akbar’s _man_ would be about 600 lbs. CHAPTER LVI. DISCOURSES OF THE PROVINCE OF CAUGIGU.