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. 174-175; Cathay, p. clxxvii.; Hayton,
ch. vi.; Jord. p. 30; Ramus. I. 180; Ceylon, I. 568).
["This mountain [Adam's Peak] abounds with rubies of all kinds and other
precious stones. These gems are being continually washed out of the ground
by heavy rains, and are sought for and found in the sand carried down the
hill by the torrents. It is currently reported among the people, that
these precious stones are the congealed tears of Buddha." (Ma-Huan,
transl. by Phillips, p. 213.)
In the Chinese work Cho keng lu, containing notes on different matters
referring to the time of the Mongol Dynasty, in ch. vii. entitled Hwui
hwui shi t'ou ("Precious Stones of the Mohammedans") among the four kinds
of red stones is mentioned the si-la-ni of a dark red colour;
si-la-ni, as Dr. Bretschneider observes (Med.
