Ceylon

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

THE Iland Zeilan or Ceilon the Arabians doe call Tenarizim and Ternasseri, that is, the Land of Delight,* 1.1 and the Indians Hibernarum. This Iland Ptolemy calleth Taprobana, as Barrius and Corsalus doe witnesse,* 1.2 which Varrerius doth also affirme. And Ortelius in his Treasury of Geography doth consent unto him. But our Mercator thinketh it to be Nanigeris, Ptolemies Greeke Bookes doe call it Pamigenesis; unto whom other doe agree. But I leave the matter undetermined and indifferent betweene both. This most excellent Iland Zeilan lyeth 10.* 1.3 degrees from the Aequinoctiall not farre from the Promontory Comorinus. The compasse of it is 240. leagues, or as some say 700. mile: the length of it is 78. leagues, 240. or 50. miles. The breadth of it is 44. leagues, or 140. miles. This Iland although it lye in the Torrid Zone,* 1.4 yet it hath so temperate a Climate, and so wholesome an ayre,* 1.5 that for that respect it excelleth all the Provinces of the Indies: and some have thought that Paradise was here. The ayre is very milde and gentle, and the Summer nor Winter is never too violent. The Soyle is fruitfull and alwayes greene, and full of Flowers. So that wee may say with the Poet concerning this Iland.

Hic Ver purpureum, Varios hic flumina circum,Fundit humus Flores.— Here both the Spring, and Earth sweet flowers yeeld,Which by the Rivers grow in every Field.

The Trees are alwaies loaded with blossomes or fruits, as Oranges, Citrons, Lemons, and other fruits. It beareth also Dates, and sweet Spices, as Cinamon, Cloves, Pepper, and the like. But the Date tree alone doth afford the Inhabitants meate, drinke, and boates. They call the fruit Coquin, and the barke Cayro. Boates are made of the bodies of these Trees, Sayles of the leaves, Ropes of the barke, the thinner slenderer parts whereof they use in stead of thread to sowe their Sayles withall, and to binde the beames and plankes together, without the helpe of any Iron Nayle, and when they have made a compleate Boate, they load it with the fruit of the same tree. But there is little store of Rice which is therefore brought thither out of the Kingdome of Malabar, and Coromandel. It hath Mines of Gold, Silver, and other Mettals, which the Kings will not suffer to be digged forth, but doe preserve them as matters of State and Regality. And some thinke, because the desire of getting this Gold should not provoke others to invade them. It yeeldeth also Iron, Hempe or Flaxe, and Brimstone, and Ivory. And there are many Pretions Stones in this Iland, as Rubies, Hyacinths, Saphires, Chrysolites, and those which are commonly call'd Ochi di gatta. There are great store of all kinde of wilde beasts, as Harts, Mules, Boares, Hares, Cunnies,* 1.6 and the like, and Elephants, which they sell by measure as we doe cloth. For these are the best Elephants in the West-Indies, and as Hugo Linscotanus relates other Elephants of other places doe reverence and worship them. But seeing wee are fallen into discourse of Elephants, I thinke it not impertinent to speake something concerning this beast. The Arabians doe call an Elephant Fill, and his tooth Cenafil, the Aethiopians Itembo. It is a very docible understanding beast, and of a gentle tractable nature. It seemeth to goe slowly, yet no man can goe so fast. And some report that Elephants have beene found, who in the night time would bewaile their evill fortune with s•ghes and teares. They live 200. yeeres. The Male Elephants have great long teeth, but the Females lesser. It is a jealous beast, and it will be so mad and furious, for jealousie, that it will neither eate nor sleepe. Christopher Acosta doth relate a memorable History concerning the Elephant, which I will here insert in Iustus Lipsius his owne words. There was an Elephant in the Citty Cochin, who having not his meat brought him at his set houre, cryes out and brayes. His Master excuses the matter, and sheweth him that the Brasse vessell wherein his meate was usually put did runne out, and therefore he could not bring it in a broken crack'd vessell. And so tells him that if he will eate he must carry it to the Smith •o bee mended. Hee obeyes, takes it in his Trunck, and carries it to the Smith. The Smith either through negligence or to make sport with the beast, mends and stops it badly. The Elephant brings it back. His Master seeth the fault and is angry. He rayles at him being absent, and chafes at the Elephant and maketh him carry back the brazen vessell againe. He doth so, and in a grumbling manner flings it at the Smith. He speakes him faire meaning to cozen him againe, and taking his Hammer makes a show as if he meant to stop and close up the leakes, but he would not be deceived againe: for he takes the brasse Kettle and carries it to the River, dippes it in, and fills it with water, to trie it. He seeing it runne out and leake, being very angry runnes back to the Smith, and brayes at him aloud. The neighbours flock together, and among them the Vice-Roy. The Smith strives to mittigate the Elephants anger with faire words, and at last takes the Vessell and mends it very well. But the Elephant would not trust him, goes back to the River, drawes up water with it, and when hee saw that it held water, hee turned himselfe to those that stood neere him, and shewd them it, and call'd them as it were to witnesse what he had done, and so at last went home: So much I have thought good to insert, for variety sake, which is the best prevention for saciety in reading. Moreover there is great store of all kinde of Birds, as Peacocks, Hens, Doves, &c. One King raigned here heretofore, but hee being made away, the Empire was devided among many Princes. There are now 9. Kings of this Iland. The chiefest of these is Colmuchi, unto whom the rest doe pay an annuall tribute: these are the Kings Ianasapitan, Triquinamale, Batecolon, Villassem, Tananaca, Laula, Galle and Cande. Iohn Hugo reporteth in his Itinerary Cap. 14. that a certaine Chyrurgion being a potent man of the Kingdome was called •aju, being wise, and of an excellent wit, and skilfull in warlike affaires, but faithfull to none. The Cingales, as the same Writer reporteth, were enemies to him hating his so great Tyranny, and yet were constrained through feare to shew obedience to him. He being also a cruell enemy to the Portugalls, the yeere before the departure of the aforesaid Hugo from India, besieged the Columbo Castle: but in vaine, for it was relieved by the Portugals. In this Iland there are 8. Citties, the chiefe whereof is Colmuchi. Here many Ships are loaden with Cinamon, Elephants, and Pretious Stones. The Portugals have a Castle here which they built by the Kings permission. The Haven is large and safe. Moreover it hath 6. chiefe Havens, besides others of lesse account. The Iland is very Mountainous, and there is a high Mountaine which the Inhabitants doe call Pico de Adam. For the Indians doe verily beleeve that Paradise was there, and that God there created Adam, and moreover they say that the print of our first Parents feete may be yet seene, being above two hand-breadths long. Ludovick Patritius writeth from the relation of one Mercator a Mahometan, that there is on the top of this Mountaine a certaine Cave, in which all the Inhabitants of this Country did dwell in memory of our first Parents: for the Inhabitants doe report, that Adam after his fall, did there with penitence, teares, and continence, redeeme and ransome himselfe from his first fault. The same Author doth report that there is another very high Mountaine, at the foote whereof Carbuncles are found, which are commonly called Rubies. Here is such great store of excellent Cinamon, so that they have whole Woods of Cinamon trees. The Inhabitants of the Sea Coast are for the most part Mahumetans: the Mediterraneans Gentiles, (whom they call Cingales) they are of a white colour, a large statute, and great bellies sticking forth, for they love to feed their bellies. But they are weake, cowardly, and unfit for matters of Warre. The same Ludovick writeth that they doe not use Ordnance, Gunnes, nor Iron: but their armes are reedes, so that they are seldome slaine in the warres. But they are uery ingenious, and doe make many curious workes of Gold, Silver, Iron, and Ivory. And now they make Musket Barrels, as if they were cast by some Artificer. The aforesaid Linscotanus doth often tell us, that an Image of the Crosse was presented to an Archbishop, which an Artificer of Zeilon had made of Ivory, being an Ell long, and so cunningly he had wrought it, that the haire, the beard, and the face of it, did resemble a living man, and likewise the stature: so that the like hath not beene seene in Europe. So that the Bishop having put it in a Chest sent it to the King of Spaine, as a precious Jewell worthy to bee esteemed of so great a King. They are excellent Actors, and have a gracefull and comely speech and utterance and so doe travell thorow all India▪ to the great admiration of the beholders. Their food is Milke, Butter, Cheese,* 1.7 and Rice: Their drinke is the juyce of Date trees. Their Garments beneath the Navell are of Silke and Cotton,* 1.8 for they doe not cover their upper parts. But that they cover their head with a thin kinde of Stuffe. They weare Earerings of Gold, and Pretious Stones, and Golden Girdles embroydered with Pretious stones. This Iland is very fitt for trading, in regard it hath many Havens, and an overflowing abundance of all things. And let so much suffice concerning the Iland Zeilan, and of Asia the third part of the World, wee proceed to America, which is the fourth, the last, and greatest part of the world, being joyned together by a famous Istmus, and so devided into the Northerne and Southerne America.

1685. Geographia universalis: the present state of the whole world by Pierre Duval.

The Isle of Ceylan. CEylan is said, by the Insularies, to have been much greater formerly than it is at this day; of four hundred Miles, which it was then in compass, it is not now above three hundred. 'Tis made to resemble a Pearl, and several do believe that it is the Taprobana of the Ancients. Its Air is the purest and most healthful that is in all India: Some call it the Land of Delights; and say, that it is the place where was the Terrestrial Paradise; that the Pico of Adam, whither the Pagan Priests go in Devotion, is a Testimony thereof, as well as the Crystal Mountains, the Forests of Cinnamon, and the Rivers of precious Stones, which are all to be found there, except the Diamond. Doubtless, the Cinnamon which is gather'd in this Island, is by much the best in the World. It affords excellent Ivory: The fishing for Pearls is perform'd in its neighbourhood, upon the Coast of the Isle of Manar. This Island abounds so with Rice, that they give it their Horses, instead of Oats. The Pike of Adam, afore-mention'd, is a high, sharp Mountain: The Fables of the Countrey say, that Adam was there bred and buried; that the Lake of Salt Water, which is at the top of it, is a Flood of the Tears Eve shed during a hundred years, for the death of her Son Abel. The Inhabitants of Ceylan, are of divers Religions; active, well shap'd, black and very ugly. Their Forces consist in Elephants, which are reckon'd the most couragious and docible of all India, from whence it comes they are called Noble. They say, moreover, that the Elephants of other Countreys, seeing them, do them Reverence, and that the Ivory of their Teeth does never turn yellow. There was formerly a white Ape in Ceylan, in such veneration amongst the Inhabitants, that this Ape falling into the hands of the Portugals, they offer'd to the King of Portugal, tho' in vain, three hundred thousand Crowns, to purchase him again. The Bannians, who reckon, amongst their false Divinities, Ramo one of their Heroes, say, amongst other follies, that he desiring to pass, from the Western Peninsula of India, into this Island, all the Scale-fish join'd together, upon the surface of the Sea, to make him a Bridge. The Streight of Manar is but a Musket-shot broad, by reason of the small Islands which are daily made, by the stones that are cast in there, that they may approach the nearer to a Pagod, or Temple of Idolaters, which is in the Terra firma of India, upon the Coast of the Fishery. There are none but small Vessels, which can pass through this Streight: So narrow a space of Sea, makes it believ'd, that the Island was formerly joined to the firm Continent. The Portugals have nothing more in Ceylan; the Hollanders stand now possess'd of most of the Places upon the Sea. There are in this Island several Cities, with the Title of Kingdom, Candea, Das sette-Corolas, Ceitavaca, Galle, Colombo, Chialo, Jaffanatapan, Trinquilemale, Baticala, Jala. The King of Candea is the most powerful of the Countrey, and a sworn Enemy of the Hollanders. He commonly causes his Blacks to burn the Cinnamon, that he may render it useless to his Enemies. The best Town of Ceylan is Candea, towards the midst of the Island.