Text taken from:  East Asian History Source book (internet).

Ethnographie des peuples etrangers a la Chine: ouvrage compose au XIIIe siecle de notre ere by Ma-touan-lin - 1876 Translation of Wen hsien t'ung-k'ao. chuan 324-332.

Diplomacy and Trade in the Chinese World 589-1276 by Hans Bielenstein 2005.

 

Yuan 330

In the beginning of the Yuan-chia period of the emperor Huan-ti [151-153 C.E.], the king of Ta-ts'in, An-tun [Marcus Aurelius Antoninus], sent envoys who offered ivory, rhinoceros' horns, and tortoise-shell, from the boundary of Jih-nan (1)[Annam]; this was the first time they communicated with us. Their tribute contained no precious stones whatever, which fact makes us suspect that the messengers kept them back.

Yuan 332

16a

On Oct.4, 813, envoys from the K’o-ling State (2)(6) presented five youths T’sing ki noe (=Sengki slaves), a five-coloured parrot, cockatoos, a p’in-chia bird, rare aromatics, and valuables of various kinds. The emperor appointed the chief envoy to the Courageous Garrison of the Left at the Four Gates. He yielded this title to his younger brother, whereupon the emperor appointed both to nominal Chinese offices.

See note on Zangi slaves

Yuan 339

3b-4a

The country of Mo-lin (3) is on the south west of the country of Yang-sa-lo (4) crossing the great desert 2,000 li (5) you come to this country. Its inhabitants are black and of ferocious manners. Cereals are scarce, and there is no vegetation in the way of shrubs and trees, horses are fed on dried fish, men eat hu-mang, that is, the Persian date. The country is very malarious. The hill tribes which one has to pass in pursuing the overland road of these countries, are of the same race. Of religions there are of several kinds: there is the Ta-shih, the Ta-ts'in, and the Hsun-hsun religion; The Hsun-hsun have most frequent illicit intercourse with barbarians, while eating they do not speak. Those who belong to the religion of Ta-shih have a rule by which brothers, children and other relatives may be impeached for crime without implicating their kin, even if the crime be brought home to them. They do not eat the flesh of pigs, dogs, donkeys, and horses, they do not prostrate or kneel down before the king, nor before father or mother, to show their veneration, they do not believe in spirits, and sacrifice to haven alone. Every seventh day is a holyday, when they will refrain from trade, and not go in our out, but drink wine and yield to dissipation till the day is finished. The Ta-ts'in are good physicians in eye diseases and diarrhea, whether by looking to matters before the disease has broken out or whether by extracting worms from the brain.

Note: Most of this text comes from Tu Yu (801) and Hsin-t'ang-shu (1066) and must have been outdated by 1295. The three religions talked about are 1;-Ta-shih : Muslim, 2;-Ta-ts'in: Monofysite Christians, 3;-Hsun-Hsun: traditional religion.

 

Note: for the text under: in the version found at: http://www.kanripo.org/text/KR2m0009/339#1a

The text has way less details then given by Hans Bielenstein

56b

In the 9th month (Oct./Nov.) of 798, three envoys from the black-robed Arabs (=Abbasids) were received at the T'ang court, and all were appointed Generals of the Gentlemen-of-the-Household.

On Jan.7, 969, envoys from the Arab State offered regional objects. (7)

In the 7th month (July/Aug.) of 971 (8), the Arabs offered regional objects. On Aug.7, their chief envoy was appointed General Who Cherishes Civilization and presented with five-coloured damask with golden flowers.

In the 3rd month (Apr./May) of 973 (9), Arab envoys offered regional objects.

On Jan.13, 974, an envoy from the king (caliph) of the Arab State offered regional objects.

On May 31, 976, the envoy P’u-hsi-mi from the king (caliph) of the Arab State offered regional objects. (10)

On Apr.21, 977, envoys from the Arab State offered regional objects (11). They were presented with garments, [porcelain] vessels, and silk.

In 979, the Arabs offered gifts. (12)

In 984, an Arab envoy offered flowered brocade, (13) yueh-no cloth, aromatics, white baroos camphor, white granulated sugar, rose water, and opaque glass vessels.

In 993 the Arab envoy Li-ya-wu arrived (14) on the Chinese coast at the same time as the Arab shipmaster P’u-hsi-mi. Because of the latter was old and ill, he was unable to proceed to the palace in the capital. He therefore added his regional objects to the presents brought by Li-ya-wu, together with a written inventory. It listed 50 elephant tusks, 1800 catties of frankincense, 700 catties of fine steel, one item of cotton with red threads, four items of variegated flowered brocades, two items of yueh-mo cloth, one opaque glass pitcher, one lump of limonite and 1000 bottles of rose water. Emperor T’ai-tsung presented P’u-his-mi with a letter, a brocade robe silver vessels, and silk ……

In 995 an Arab shipmaster sent an agent (15) with a letter to the Sung court and presented 100 ounces of baroos camphor, castoreum, dragon salt, drugs, white granulated sugar, dates, schisandrag chinensis seeds, peaches, 20 bottles of rose water, frankincense, foreign brocade, mats and yueh-no cloth.

On Apr.7, 997, the Arab State offered gifts. (16)

On Aug.13, 999, envoys from the Arab State offered gifts.

In the 3rd month (Apr./May) of 1000 (17), an agent of the shipmaster T’o-p’o-li, offered gifts. T’o-p’o-li was paid 2,700 ounces of silver, water sprinkling vessels, and gilded silver horse trappings.

In the 6th month (July Aug.) of 1003 (18), envoys from the king (caliph) of the Arab State offered a red parrot and regional objects. On Chen-tsung’s birthday, they were given a great banquet and presented with garments.

In 1004, envoys from the Arab State offered gifts (19). In the autumn, another envoy arrived at the Sung court.

In 1007, envoys from the Arab State offered gifts (20). They arrived together with envoys from Champa,  they had travelled by sea.

When Chen-tsung performed the feng and shan sacrifices at Mount T'ai on Nov.24 and 25, 1008 (21), one Arab shipmaster attended it and at that occasion presented regional objects, while the shipmaster Li-ya-wu sent the envoy Ma-wu (Mohammed) to present a jade tablet. Both shipmasters were given [porcelain] vessels, silk, robes, and belts. Simultaneously, the ruler (caliph) of their state was presented with a couch with silver ropes, water pitchers, mechanisms, banners, and horse trappings.

In the 11th month (Dec./Jan., 1024) (22) of the Chinese year 1023, envoys from the Arab State offered gifts to the Sung court.

 

On the western sea [Indian Ocean] there are markets where the traders do not see one another, the price being deposited by the side of the merchandise; they are called "spirit markets."

(1) Jih-nan [Annam] : modern day Vietnam.

(2) K’o-ling State; also spelt Holing; medieval kingdom in central Java.

(3) Mo-lin: must have been somewhere in the horn of Africa

(4) Yang-sa-lo: Jerusalem.

(5) Li: also known as the Chinese mile. The li has varied considerably over time and now has a standardized length of a half-kilometer.

(6) On Oct.4, 813, envoys from the K’o-ling State: this is also found in Yang Xiu and Song Qi (1066); Wang Pu (961)

(7) On Jan.7, 969 envoys from the Arab State offered regional objects: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(8) In the 7th month (July/Aug.) of 971: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(9) In the 3rd month (Apr./May) of 973: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(10) On May 31, 976, the envoy P’u-hsi-mi from the king: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(11) On Apr.21, 977, envoys from the Arab State: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(12) In 979, the Arabs offered gifts: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(13) In 984, an Arab envoy offered flowered brocade: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(14) In 993 the Arab envoy Li-ya-wu arrived: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345); Chao Ju-Kua (1226)

(15) In 995 an Arab shipmaster sent an agent: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(16) On Apr.7, 997, the Arab State offered gifts: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(17) In the 3rd month (Apr./May) of 1000: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(18) In the 6th month (July Aug.) of 1003: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(19) In 1004, envoys from the Arab State offered gifts: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(20) In 1007, envoys from the Arab State offered gifts: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(21) Mount T'ai on Nov.24 and 25, 1008: this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)

(22) In the 11th month (Dec./Jan., 1024): this is also found in Tuo Tuo (1345)