ODORICO DI PORDENONE, Minorite friar (born 1281, died 1331), a Beatus of the Roman Catholic Church, travelled in the east and in India between 1316 and 1330. He proceeded by way of Constantinople and Trebizond, Arziron (Erzeroum), Tauris, Soldania (Sultanieh), and the Sea of Bacuc (i.e. of Baku, the Caspian), Cassan (Kashan), Iest (Yezd), and the Sea of Sand, the ruins of Comerum (Persepolis), and the kingdom of Chaldma (Baghdad), to Ormes (Ormuz), whence he took ship to Tanna in Sal sette, near Bombay. Here, or at Surat, where Friar Jordanus had deposited them, he gathered the bones of the four missionaries who had suffered martyrdom there in 1321, and took ship again to Polumbum (or Columbum, Quilon). He notices the immense quantity of pepper cultivated in Minibar (Malabar), on which coast he also visited the towns of Flandrina (Pandarani) and Cyngilin (Cynkali, Shinkala, Gingala, Jangli, Cranganore). He then went on to Mobar (the Coromandel coast), where lieth the body of St. Thomas ; ' and thence in fifty days sailed to Lamori (Lambri) and to the kingdom of Sumoltra (Sumatra). From Sumatra he went on to Java, and to another island called Thalamasyn or Panten, which has been thought to be Borneo, and thence to Zampa (Cochin-China). He next notices the island of
Nicoveran (Nicobars) and of Sillan (Ceylon), whence his narrative carries us at once to Upper India (China) and the province of Manzi (Southern China), and the cities of Censcalan (Canton), Zayton (Chin-chu), Fuzo (Fu-chu), Cansay (Hang-chu-fu), Chilenfu (Nankin), and Cam balech (Pekin), and Sandu (Xanadu, Shang-tu), the summer residence of the Great Khan. He describes the lands of Prester John,' and the realm of Thibet,' and the Grand Lama, as the pope of that country. He also gives an account of the Old Man of the Mountain,' and of his dealings with the ` Devils of Tartary.' He died at Padua A.D. 1331. Lamori has been supposed to be the Arabic Al-Rami. He is known as Odoricus. His account was delivered orally to the person by whom it was written down, but is extremely meagre and unsatisfactory.—Marsden's Sumatra, p. 7 ; Sir G. Birdwood's Records.