Odoricus, a friar, who commenced his travels in 1318 and died at Padua in
1331, had visited many parts of the East. From the southern part of the
coast of Coromandel he proceeded by a navigation of twenty days to a
country named Lamori (perhaps a corruption of the Arabian Al-rami), to
the southward of which is another kingdom named Sumoltra, and not far
from thence a large island named Java. His account, which was delivered
orally to the person by whom it was written down, is extremely meagre and
unsatisfactory.

MANDEVILLE.

Mandeville, who travelled in the fourteenth century, seems to have
adopted the account of Odoricus when he says, "Beside the isle of Lemery
is another that is clept Sumobor; and fast beside a great isle clept
Java."

NICOLO DI CONTI.

Nicolo di Conti, of Venice, returned from his oriental travels in 1449
and communicated to the secretary of Pope Eugenius IV a much more
consistent and satisfactory account of what he had seen than any of his
predecessors. After giving a description of the cinnamon and other
productions of Zeilam he says he sailed to a great island named Sumatra,
called by the ancients Taprobana, where he was detained one year. His
account of the pepper-plant, of the durian fruit, and of the
extraordinary customs, now well ascertained, of the Batech or Batta
people, prove him to have been an intelligent observer.

ITINERARIUM PORTUGALLENSIUM.