1882.] ibn batuta in the maldives' and ceylon. 4'5 



Of the precious Stones. 

 The admirable gems called albahraman ( rubies or carbuncles) 

 are only found at this town. Some of them are found in the vale 

 and these are the most precious in the eyes of the natives ; 

 others are extracted from the earth. Gems are met with in all 

 localities in the island of Ceylon. In this country the whole of 

 the soil is private property. An individual buys a portion of it, 

 and digs to find gems. He comes across stones white- 

 branched : in the interior of these stones the gem is hidden. 

 The owner sends it to the lapidaries, who scrape it until it is 

 separated from the stones which conceal it. There are the red 

 (rubies ), the yellow ( topazes ), and the blue ( sapphires ) which 

 they call ne'ilem (nllem).* It is a rule of the natives that precious 

 stones whose value amounts to 100 fanams are reserved for the 

 Sultan, who gives their price and takes them for himself. As 

 for those of an inferior price, they remain the property of the 

 finders. f One hundred fanams are equivalent to six pieces ol 

 gold. 



It is probable that the priest, who compiled the history referred to by Tumour, 

 has purposely omitted the name of this Kumdrayd, thus causing the 

 anachronism noticed by Tumour. Casie Chetty conjectures that this Prince 

 was the son of Wijaya Bahu V. by his Moorish Queen Vasthimi 

 and this is quite consistent with the above theory. It is also stated by Ibn 

 Batuta that the King and inhabitants of Conacdr used to visit the Mahommedan 

 Shaikh "Otlimdn of Shiraz at his Mosque, and to treat him with great 

 respect. It is significant that the Prince of Conacdr is not mentioned in the 

 French translation as 1 an infidel King', as Ibn Batuta seems to be careful to 

 do in all instances of those who were not his co-religionist. The French trans, 

 lation also describes this King as deposed by his subjects and deprived of his 

 sight, whilst his son was placed on the throne. This son may have been 

 Vasthimi Kumar ay d. The silence of the Sinhalese historians has, however 

 left all this in doubt." — B.~] 

 * Ne'ilem = S. nita, 



f Barbosa on the other hand says that all the Ceylon gemming is done by 

 the agents of the King, and on his behalf. The stones are brought to him, and 

 his lapidaries select the best, and sell the rest to the merchants (Stanley's 



