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. On the top of this mountain there is a most beautiful plain, in
which is a small lake always full of water, which the inhabitants allege to
have proceeded from the tears of Adam and Eve; but this I proved to be
false, as I saw the water to flow out of the lake.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 652 of 810
Words from 178469 to 178757
of 222093
