And In The Same Way, All Other Kinds Of
Fish In These Seas Come To The Shore In Succession, Each Kind By Itself.
This Strange Phenomenon Happens Once Every Year, And The Natives Pretend
That The Fishes Are Taught By Nature To Do This, In Token Of Homage To
Their Emperor.
I saw many other strange things in this country, which would
be incredible to any one who had not seen them; and among these, I may
mention that they have tortoises as large as ovens.
In this country, the
bodies of their dead are burned, and the living wives are burned along with
their dead husbands, as has been already mentioned when describing the
customs of the city of Polumbrum; and they are believed by this means to
accompany their husbands into the other world.
Travelling from this country to the southward, along the coast of the
ocean, I passed through many countries and islands, one of which is called
Moumoran[1], and is 2000 miles in circumference. The people of this
country, both men and women, go naked, except a small cloth before the
middle of their bodies. They have dogs faces, and worship an ox as their
god, and all of them wear the image of an ox in gold or silver on their
foreheads. The men are very tall and strong, and when they go to battle,
they carry targets of iron or steel, large enough to cover and protect
their whole bodies. All the prisoners whom they take in war, unless they
can ransom themselves with money, are eaten; but those who are able to pay
ransom are set free. The king of this country wears a string of 300 large
and fair pearls about his neck, which he employs as a rosary for counting
his prayers; and says every day as many prayers to his god. He wears also
on his finger a marvellously large and brilliant stone, of a span long,
which resembles a flame of fire, so that no one dare approach him, and it
is said to be the most valuable precious stone in all the world. The great
Tartar emperor of Cathay, hath often used every endeavour to procure this
wonderful jewel, but has never been able to prevail, either by force,
policy, or money.
[1] It is impossible even to conjecture what island is here meant; but as
Ceylon follows next in succession, it may possibly refer to Sumatra,
though that island appears to have been mentioned already, under the
name of Symolora - E.
SECTION IX.
Of the Island of Ceylon, and of the Mountain where Adam mourned the Death
of Abel.
From thence I passed another island named Sylan, or Ceylon, which is 2000
miles in circuit, in which there are infinite multitudes of serpents, great
numbers of lions, bears, and all kinds of ravenous beasts, and a great many
of elephants. In this island there is a great mountain, on which the
inhabitants pretend that Adam mourned for the death of his son Abel, during
500 years.
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