JOURNAL R. A. S. CEYLON. 



[extra- NO -i- 



All the women in the- island", of Ceylon possess necklaces of" 

 precious stones of divers colors: they wear them also at their 

 hands and feet,, in the form of bracelets and khalkh&ls (anklets )j 

 The concubines of the Sultan make a> network of gems and: wear 

 it on their heads. I have seen on the forehead of the white 

 elephant seven of these- precious stones, each of which was larger- 

 than a hen's egg. I likewise saw in. possession of Airy 

 Ghacarouaty a ruby dish, as large as the palm of the hand, 

 containing oil of aloes. I expressed my astonishment at this 

 dish, but the Sultan said, " We have objects of the same material 

 larger than that.' 5 * 



We left Conacdr, and halted at a eaw called by the name of 

 Ostha Mahmoud Allowry. This person was one of the best of 

 men : he had excavated this cave in the mountain side, near a 

 little vale. Quitting this place, we encamped near the vale called! 

 Khaour bowzneh ( ( monkey vale 1 ). Bbuzneh (Persian bouz/ineh)* 

 designates the same as alhoroud (plural o/'alkird^ 6 monkey*) in* 

 Arabic. 



Of the Monkeys. 

 These animals are very numerous in the mountains r they 

 are of a black colour, and have long tails. Those of the male sex. 

 have beards like men. The Shaikh ^Othmdn, his son and other 

 persons, have related to me that the monkeys have a Chief whom 

 they obey like a Sovereign. He binds round his head a wreath 

 of the leaves of trees, and supports himself with a staff. Four 



Barbosa, Hakt. Soc, p. 169.) Ludovico di Varthema (A.D. 1505) says :■■ — "And 

 when a merchant wishes to find these jewels, he is obliged first to speak to the 

 King, and to purchase a braza of the said land in every direction (which braza is 

 called a molan [? amunam], and to purchase it for five ducats. And then when 

 he digs the said land, a man always remains there on the part of the King, and 

 if any jewel be found there which exceeds ten carats, the King claims it for 

 himself and leaves all the rest free." — Badger's Varthema, Hakt. Soc, p. 190' 

 * See further, as to the wonderful gems of that period, Marco Polo, Bk. 

 III., Ch. xiv., and Col. Yule's note thereto. 



