These Arguments Have Been Refuted In The Livre Des Merveilles
De L'Inde, P. 265 Seqq.
Nicolo Conti, speaking of the "very noble island called Zeilan," says (p.
7):
"Here also cinnamon grows in great abundance. It is a tree which very
much resembles our thick willows, excepting that the branches do not grow
upwards, but are spread out horizontally: the leaves are very like those
of the laurel, but are somewhat larger. The bark of the branches is the
thinnest and best, that of the trunk of the tree is thicker and inferior
in flavour. The fruit resembles the berries of the laurel; an odoriferous
oil is extracted from it adapted for ointments, which are much used by the
Indians. When the bark is stripped off, the wood is used for fuel." - H.C.]
NOTE 5. - There seems to have been always afloat among Indian travellers,
at least from the time of Cosmas (6th century), some wonderful story about
the ruby or rubies of the king of Ceylon. With Cosmas, and with the
Chinese Hiuen Tsang, in the following century, this precious object is
fixed on the top of a pagoda, "a hyacinth, they say, of great size and
brilliant ruddy colour, as big as a great pine-cone; and when 'tis seen
from a distance flashing, especially if the sun's rays strike upon it,
'tis a glorious and incomparable spectacle." Our author's contemporary,
Hayton, had heard of the great ruby: "The king of that Island of Celan
hath the largest and finest ruby in existence. When his coronation takes
place this ruby is placed in his hand, and he goes round the city on
horseback holding it in his hand, and thenceforth all recognise and obey
him as their king." Odoric too speaks of the great ruby and the Kaan's
endeavours to get it, though by some error the circumstance is referred to
Nicoveran instead of Ceylon. Ibn Batuta saw in the possession of Arya
Chakravarti, a Tamul chief ruling at Patlam, a ruby bowl as big as the
palm of one's hand. Friar Jordanus speaks of two great rubies belonging to
the king of SYLEN, each so large that when grasped in the hand it
projected a finger's breadth at either side. The fame, at least, of these
survived to the 16th century, for Andrea Corsali (1515) says: "They tell
that the king of this island possesses two rubies of colour so brilliant
and vivid that they look like a flame of fire."
Sir E. Tennent, on this subject, quotes from a Chinese work a statement
that early in the 14th century the Emperor sent an officer to Ceylon to
purchase a carbuncle of unusual lustre. This was fitted as a ball to the
Emperor's cap; it was upwards of an ounce in weight and cost 100,000
strings of cash. Every time a grand levee was held at night the red lustre
filled the palace, and hence it was designated "The Red
Palace-Illuminator." (I.B. IV.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 314 of 701
Words from 163069 to 163568
of 370046
