BOOK V [ .] History of Nature. ] 29 



was taken were always of the same Weight, although the 

 different Images shewed that they were made by different 

 Persons. And hereupon especially was he moved to seek 

 for the Friendship of Rome ; and so despatched four Ambas- 

 sadors, of whom Rachias was the chief. From them it be- 

 came known that there were five hundred Towns in it ; and 

 that there was a Harbour facing the South, lying conve- 

 niently near the Town Palesimundum, the principal City of 

 all that Realm, and the King's Seat ; that there were 

 200,000 common Citizens : that within this Island there was 

 a Lake called Magisba, 270 Miles in Circuit, containing in 

 it some Islands fruitful in nothing but Pasturage. Out of 

 this Lake issued two Rivers ; the one, Palesimundas, pass- 

 ing near to the City of the same Name, and running into the 

 Harbour with three Streams ; of which the Narrowest was five 

 Stadia Broad, and the largest fifteen ; the other Northward 

 towards India, by Name Cydara : also that the next Cape of 

 this Country to India is called Colaicum, from which to the 

 nearest Port (of India) is counted four Days' Sailing : in the 

 midst of which Passage, there lieth the Island of the Sun. 

 They said, moreover, that the Water of this Sea was of a 

 deep green Colour; and, what is still more extraordinary, 

 full of Trees growing within it : 1 so that the Pilots with 

 their Helms broke off the" Crests of those Trees. They won- 

 dered to see the Stars about the North Pole (Septentriones) 

 and Vergiliae, as if it had been a new Heaven. They confessed 

 also they never saw, with them, the Moon above the Earth 

 before it was eight Days old, 2 nor after the sixteenth Day. 

 That the Canopus, a great and bright Star, used to shine all 

 Night with them. But the thing that they were most sur- 

 prised at was, that they observed the Shadow of their own 



1 Branched corals, beyond a doubt. Wern. Club. 



2 It is surprising to find an author so intelligent as Pliny relating 

 such extraordinary circumstances as these ambassadors from Ceylon 

 reported without any animadversion ; and particularly that he takes no 

 notice of what they said concerning the appearance of the moon, as such 

 a phenomenon could not take place in any region of the earth. Wern. 

 Club. 



VOL. IT. K 



