the middle east 373Garments
716: one robe embroidered with gold from the Arabs.
1091: garments from Fu-lin.
Jewels750: real pearls without holes from Persia.
771: real pearls and amber from Persia.
1011: amber from the Arabs.
1081: real pearls from Fu-lin.
1129: pearls from the Arabs.
Sweets984: white granulated sugar from the Arabs.
995: white granulated sugar from the Arabs.
999: white pebble sweets from the Arabs.
As usual, some of the goods were native products, others not. The
elephant and rhinoceros presented by the Persians did not come from
Persia. The elephant tusks and rhinoceros horns of the Arabs did
not come from Arabia. They were either from Africa or bought by
the envoys in India or Southeast Asia. The lions and goat antelopes
offered by Fu-lin came from West Turkestan. There are no leopards
in Arabia. Although amber is an Arab word, this fossil resin is not
found in Arabia. These and other cases show that the trade con-
ducted by the missions was part of an exchange of goods involving
the entire old world.
The Chinese paid with copper cash, gold, silver, gold and silver
vessels, porcelain vessels, silk, damask, garments, caps, belts, banners,
and horse trappings.