Chapter SALWEN to SAMBRE of S by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

SALWEN to SAMBRE

SALWEN, n.p. The great river entering the sea near Martaban in British Burma, and which the Chinese in its upper course call Lu-kiang. The Burmese form is Than-lwen, but the original form is probably Shan. [“The Salween River, which empties itself into the sea at Maulmain, rivals the Irrawaddy in length but not in importance” [(Forbes, British Burma, 8).]

SAMBOOK, s. Ar. sanbuk, and sunbuk (there is a Skt. word sambuka, ‘a bivalve shell, but we are unable to throw any light on any possible transfer); a kind of small vessel formerly used in Western India and still on the Arabian coast. [See Bombay Gazetteer, xiii. Pt. ii. 470.] It is smaller than the bagala (see BUGGALOW), and is chiefly used to communicate between a roadstead and the shore, or to go inside the reefs. Burton renders the word ‘a foyst,’ which is properly a smaller kind of galley. See description in the last but one quotation below.

c. 330.—“It is the custom when a vessel arrives (at Makdashau) that the Sultan’s sunbuk boards her to ask whence the ship comes, who is the owner, and the skipper (or pilot), what she is laden with, and what merchants or other passengers are on board.”—Ibn Batuta, ii. 183; also see pp. 17, 181, &c.

1498.—“The Zambuco came loaded with doves’-dung, which they have in those islands, and which they were carrying, it being merchandize for Cambay, where it is used in dyeing cloths.”—Correa, Lendas, i. 33–34.

„ In the curious Vocabulary of the language of Calicut, at the end of the Roteiro of Vasco da Gama, we find: “Barcas; Cambuco.”

[1502.—“Zambucos.” See under NACODA.]

1506.—“Questo Capitanio si prese uno sambuco molto ricco, veniva dalla Mecha per Colocut.”—Leonardo Ca’ Masser, 17.

1510.—“As to the names of their ships, some are called Sambuchi, and these are flat-bottomed.”—Varthema, 154.

1516.—“Item — our Captain Major, or Captain of Cochim shall give passes to secure the navigation of the ships and zanbuqos of their ports … provided they do not carry spices or drugs that we require for our cargoes, but if such be found, for the first occasion they shall lose all the spice and drugs so loaded, and on the second they shall lose both ship and cargo, and all may be taken as prize of war.”—Treaty of Lopo Soares with Coulão (Quilon), in Botelho, Tombo, Subsidios, p. 32.

[1516.—“Zambucos.” See under ARECA.]

1518.—“Zambuquo.” See under PROW.

1543.—“Item — that the Zanbuquos which shall trade in his port in rice or nele (paddy) and cottons and other matters shall pay the customary dues.”—Treaty of Martin Affonso de Sousa with Coulam, in Botelho, Tombo, 37.

[1814.—“Sambouk.” See under DHOW.]

1855.—“Our pilgrim ship … was a Sambuk of about 400 ardébs (50 tons), with narrow wedge-like bows, a clean water-line, a sharp keel, undecked except upon the poop, which was high enough to act as a sail in a gale of wind. We carried 2 masts, imminently raking forward, the main considerably longer than the mizen, and the former was provided with a large triangular latine. …”—Burton, Pilgrimage to El Medinah and Meccah, i. 276; [Memorial ed. i. 188].

1858.—“The vessels of the Arabs called Sembuk are small Baggelows of 80 to 100 tons burden. Whilst they run out forward into a sharp prow, the after part of the vessel is disproportionately broad and elevated above the water, in order to form a counterpoise to the colossal triangular sail which is hoisted to the masthead with such a spread that often the extent of the yard is greater than the whole length of the vessel.”—F. von Neimans, in Zeitschr. der Deutsch. Morgenl. Gesellsch. xii. 420.

1880.—“The small sailing boat with one sail, which is called by the Arabs ‘Jámbook’ with which I went from Hodeida to Aden.”—Letter in Athenaeum, March 13, p.346.

[1900.—“We scrambled into a sambouka crammed and stuffed with the baggage.”— Bent, Southern Arabia, 220.]

SAMBRE, SAMBUR, s. Hind. sabar, sambar; Skt. sambara. A kind of stag (Rusa Aristotelis, Jerdon; [Blanford, Mammalia, 543 seqq.]) the elk of S. Indian sportsmen; ghaus of Bengal; jerrow (jarao) of the Hi malaya; the largest of Indian stags, and found in all the large forests of India. The word is often applied to the soft leather, somewhat resembling chamois leather, prepared from the hide.

1673.—“… Our usual diet was of spotted deer, Sabre, wild Hogs and sometimes wild Cows.”—Fryer, 175.

[1813.—“Here he saw a number of deer, and four large sabirs or samboos, one considerably bigger than an ox. …”—Diary, in Forbes, Or. Mem. 2nd ed. ii. 400.]

1823.—“The skin of the Sambre, when well prepared, forms an excellent material for the military accoutrements of the soldiers of the native Powers.”—Malcolm, Central India, i. 9.

[1900.—“The Sambu stags which Lord Powerscourt turned out in his glens. …”—Spectator, December 15, p. 883.]