Many Writers Affirm, That In
India And Malabar, Which Now Abounds In People, The Sea Once Reached The
Foot Of
The mountains; and that Cape Comorin and the island of Ceylon
were once united; also that Sumatra once joined with
Malacca, by the
shoals of Caypasia; and not far from thence there is a small island which,
only a few years ago, was joined to the opposite coast. Ptolemy advances
the point of Malacca three or four degrees to the south of the line;
whereas its most southerly point, now called Jentana, is in one degree of
north latitude, by which people pass daily the straits of Cincapura to
the coasts of Siam and China; and the island of Aynan is said to have
formerly joined the land of China; the southern extremity of which
Ptolomey placed far to the south of the line, though it now only reaches
to twentieth degree of north latitude.
It may even have been that Malacca and China, as Ptolemy sets forth,
extended beyond the line to the south; as Malacca might join with the
land called Jentana, and the islands of Bintam, Banca, and Salistres, and
the land might be all slime and ouze; likewise China might be united with
the Lucones, Borneo, Lequeuo, Mindanao, and others. Some are of opinion,
that Sumatra joined with Java, across what is now the Straits of Sunda;
and that Java also joined with the islands of Bali, Anjave, Cambava,
Solor, Hogalcao, Maulva, Vintara, Rosalaguin, and others in that range,
all of which are so near as to appear continuous, when seen from a small
distance; and they still are so near together, that in passing through
the channels which divide them, the boughs of the trees on each side may
be touched by the hands.
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