Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/176

 IGO COMMERCE WITH it would naturally take two years to come back. A commercial voyage, the returns of which could not be made in less than four years, could hardly be con- ducted by any people, and especially by a people who borrow money at an exorbitant interest. It cannot well be argued that the trade might have been conducted, and yet the Tartar sovereign and his court be ignorant of it, for the family ofJe?igez Khan had at this time been in complete possession of China and its coasts for a number of years. Kuhlai personally was remarkable for his desire to render himself acquainted with foreign countries ; and, before the period in question, had sent an un- successful expedition of four thousand vessels, and S'iOjOOO men, against Japan. * Had the Chinese been in the habit of frequenting the coasts of Hin- dustan, surely the Portuguese, long anxious to gain admittance to China, must have met with them ; and from their wealth, which they would not have wanted a pretext to plunder, compared to that of the traders of India, could not have failed to have mentioned so remarkable a circumstance. Their not having done so on any occasion, nearly amounts to a direct proof that, when they arrived in India, no direct in,tercourse existed between China and Hindustan. I am strongly tempted even to suspect that the Arabs, who traded direct from their own country 6
 * Kempfer's Hislory C)f Japan.