2^2 .' Voyage of the Novara. 



natives themselves set a high value on jewels, in consequence 

 pf their small bulk admitting of their being readily con- 

 cealed and easily carried about, the finer descriptions are 

 readily disposed of at a good price, and, singular to say, it 

 has frequently happened, as we ourselves found by personal 

 experience, that precious stones are dearer in Colombo and 

 Galle than in the European markets ! The explanation of 

 this paradox is probably that the steady copious influx into 

 the London and Paris markets of precious stones from all 

 parts of the earth w^here jewels are found, admits of by no 

 means such excessive fluctuations in value as at Ceylon, 

 where the supply actually on hand is so varying, and where 

 the value of the article almost always depends upon the rank 

 and w^ealth of the Indian purchaser. The foreign traveller 

 very often cannot restrain a feeling of surprise at seeing the 

 fingers of the stately Mahometan jewellers adorned with 

 rings of costly gems, which are only offered for sale to 

 himself at an exorbitant sum. 



. Tlie value of the precious stones of all sorts found in 

 Ceylon in the course of a year is estimated by Sir Emerson 

 Tennent at about £10,000, one-fourth, at least, of the entire 

 quantity finding a market on the island, a full half being 

 sent to the jewel-polishers of India, so that only the remain- 

 ing fourth is exported to Europe. 



The scant time allotted to us at Colombo w^as zealously 

 occupied in seeing the utmost that we could of the many 

 interesting objects that invited attention. Among others, we 



