Chapter MARGOSA to MARTINGALE of M by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

Hak. Soc. i. 259.) For the modern manufacture, see Scott, Gazetteer of Upper Burma, 1900, Pt. i. vol. ii. 399 seq.]

c. 1350.—“Then the Princess made me a present consisting of dresses, of two elephant-loads of rice, of two she-buffaloes, ten sheep, four rotls of cordial syrup, and four Martabans, or huge jars, filled with pepper, citron, and mango, all prepared with salt, as for a sea - voyage.”—Ibn Batuta, iv. 253.

(?).—“Un grand bassin de Martabani.”— 1001 Jours, ed. Paris 1826, ii. 19. We do not know the date of these stories. The French translator has a note explaining “porcelaine verte.”

1508.—“The lac (lacre) which your Highness desired me to send, it will be a piece of good luck to get, because these ships depart early, and the vessels from Pegu and Martaban come late. But I hope for a good quantity of it, as I have given orders for it.”—Letter from the Viceroy Dom Francisco Almeida to the King. In Correa, i. 900.

1516.—“In this town of Martaban are made very large and beautiful porcelain vases, and some of glazed earthenware of a black colour, which are highly valued among the Moors, and they export them as merchandize.”—Barbosa, 185.

1598.—“In this towne many of the great earthen pots are made, which in India are called Martauanas, and many of them carryed throughout all India, of all sortes both small and great; some are so great that they will hold full two pipes of water. The cause why so many are brought into India is for that they vse them in every house, and in their shippes insteede of caskes.”—Linschoten, p. 30; [Hak. Soc. i. 101; see also i. 28, 268].

c. 1610.—“… des iarres les plus belles, les mieux vernis et les mieux façonnées que j’aye veu ailleurs. Il y en a qui tiennent autant qu’vne pippe et plus. Elles se font an Royaume de Martabane, d’ou on les apporte, et d’où elles prennent leur nom par toute l’Inde.”—Pyrard de Laval, i. 179; [Hak. Soc. i. 259].

1615.—“Vasa figulina quae vulgo Martabania dicuntur per Indiam nota sunt.… Per Orientem omnem, quin et Lusitaniam, horum est usus.”—Jarric, Thesaurus Rer. Indic. pt. ii. 339.

1673.—“Je vis un vase d’une certaine terre verte qui vient des Indes, dont les Turcs … font un grand estime, et qu’ils acheptent bien cher à cause de la propriété qu’elle a de se rompre à la présence du poison.… Ceste terre se nomme Merdebani.”—Journal d’Ant. Galland. ii. 110.

1673.—“… to that end offer Rice, Oyl, and Cocoe-Nuts in a thick Grove, where they piled an huge Heap of long Jars like Mortivans.”—Fryer, 180.

1688.—“They took it out of the cask, and put it into earthen Jars that held about eight Barrels apiece. These they call Montaban Jars, from a town of that name in Pegu, whence they are brought, and carried all over India.”—Dampier, ii. 98.

c. 1690.—“Sunt autem haec vastissimae ac turgidae ollae in regionibus Martavana et Siama confectae, quae per totam transferuntur Indiam ad varios liquores conservandos.”—Rumphius, i. ch. iii.

1711.—“… Pegu, Quedah, Jahore and all their own Coasts, whence they are plentifully supply’d with several Necessarys, they otherwise must want; As Ivory, Beeswax, Mortivan and small Jars, Pepper, &c.”— Lockyer, 35.

1726.—“… and the Martavaans containing the water to drink, when empty require two persons to carry them.”— Valentijn, v. 254.

„ “The goods exported hitherward (from Pegu) are … glazed pots (called Martavans after the district where they properly belong), both large and little.”— Ibid, v. 128.

1727.—“Martavan was one of the most flourishing Towns for Trade in the East.… They make earthen Ware there still, and glaze them with Lead-oar. I have seen some Jars made there that could contain two Hogsheads of Liquor.”—A. Hamilton, i. 63, [ed. 1744, ii. 62].

1740.—“The Pay Master is likewise ordered … to look out for all the Pegu Jars in Town, or other vessels proper for keeping water.”—In Wheeler, iii. 194.

Such jars were apparently imitated in other countries, but kept the original name. Thus Baillie Fraser says that “certain jars called Martaban were manufactured in Oman.”—Journey into Khorasan, 18.

1851.—“Assortment of Pegu Jars as used in the Honourable Company’s Dispensary at Calcutta.”

“Two large Pegu Jars from Moulmein.” —Official Catal. Exhibition of 1851, ii. 921.

MARTIL, MARTOL, s. A hammer. Hind martol, from Port. martello, but assisted by imaginary connection with Hind mar-na, ‘to strike.’

MARTINGALE, s. This is no specially Anglo-Indian word; our excuse for introducing it is the belief that it is of Arabic origin. Popular assumption, we believe, derives the name from a mythical Colonel Martingale. But the word seems to come to us from the French, in which language, besides the English use, Littré gives chauses à la martingale as meaning “culottes dont le pont était placé par derriere,” and this he strangely declares to be the true and original meaning of the word. His etymology, after Ménage, is from Martigues in Provence, where, it is alleged, breeches of this kind were worn. Skeat seems to accept these explanations.