تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 13.115

13.115.1

Their sultan came to us riding on an elephant on which was something like a saddle-cloth of hides. The sultan's clothing was a garment of goatskins with the hair turned outward, and on his head were three coloured silk bands, and in his hand a spear of reed; with him were about twenty of his relatives on elephants. We sent him a gift of pepper, ginger, cinnamon, the fish found in the islands of Dhībat al-Mahal, and Banjāla cloths; they do not wear these, but only use them to clothe the elephants on their festival days! This sultan is owed, from every ship that puts in at his country, a slave girl, a mamlūk, cloths to clothe the elephant, and gold ornaments which his wife wears on her girdle and on her toes. Anyone who does not give this levy, they work magic against him which stirs up the sea, so that he perishes or comes close to perishing!