It Has
Often Happened, In The Isle Of Serendib, Where There Is A Mine Of Precious
Stones In A Mountain,
A pearl-fishery, and other extraordinary things, that
an Indian would come into the bazar or market-place, armed with
A kris,
and seize upon the most wealthy merchant there present, leading him out of
the market, through a throng of people, holding the kris to his throat,
while no one dared to attempt his rescue, as the Indian was sure, in such a
case, to kill the merchant, and make away with himself; and when he had got
the merchant out of the city, the Indian obliged him to redeem his life
with a sum of money. To put an end to such outrages, an order was issued to
seize such trespassers; but on attempting to execute this order, several
merchants were killed, both Arabs and Indians, and the order was obliged to
be repealed. In the mountains of Serendib, precious stones are found of
various colours, red, green, and yellow[10], most of which are washed from
caverns or crevices, by rains and torrents. In these places, the king has
officers to watch over the people who gather the precious stones. In some
places, these are dug out of mines, like the ores of metals, and the rock
has often to be broken to come at the precious stones which it contains.
The king of Serendib makes laws concerning the religion and government of
the country; and there are assemblies held of doctors and learned men, like
those of Hadithis among the Arabs, to which the Indians repair, and write
down what they hear of the lives of their prophets, and the expositions of
their laws.
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