This Lake Is Full Of
Horse-Leeches, And Numbers Of Precious Stones Are To Be Found On Its
Bottom, Which
The king of the island, instead of appropriating to his own
use, allows certain poor people to dive for once
Or twice a-year, for their
own profit, that they may pray for blessings upon his soul. On this
occasion they smear their bodies with lemon juice, which prevents the
leeches from hurting them while they are in the water. The water from this
lake runs into the sea, at which place the inhabitants dig on the shore, at
low water, for rubies, diamonds, pearls, and other precious stones, which
are found in such abundance, that the king of this island is believed to
possess more precious stones than any other monarch in the world. There are
wild beasts and birds of all kinds in this island in great numbers; and I
was informed by the natives, that these beasts never attack or do harm to
strangers, but only kill the indigenous inhabitants. I saw in this island
certain birds, as large as our geese, having two heads, and other wonderful
things I do not here write of.
Still farther to the south, I came to a certain island, called Bodin[1],
which name signifies unclean; and this island is inhabited by a most
wicked people, who devour raw flesh, and commit all manner of wickedness
and abominable uncleanness to an incredible extent; insomuch, that they
kill and eat each other, the father eating his son, the son his father, the
husband his wife, and the wife her husband.
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