1882.] IBN BATUTA IN THE MALDIVES AND CEYLON. 49 



the worm, and this detaches it from the body : they scrape the 

 place with a wooden knife made for the purpose. It is said 

 that a certain pilgrim was passing this neighbourhood, and that 

 the leeches fastened upon him. He remained impassive, and did 

 not squeeze lime-juice upon them : and so all his blood was 

 sucked and he died.* The name of this man was Bdbd Khouzy, 

 and there is there a cave which bears his name. From this place 

 we took our way to ' the seven caves,' then to 'the hill of Iskandar' 

 {Alexander). There is there a grotto called of Alisfahdny , a 

 spring of water, and an uninhabited mansion, beneath which is the 

 bay called 4 the place of bathing of the contemplative.' At the 

 same place is seen 'the orange cave' and 'the cave of the Sultan.' 

 Near the latter is the gateway (derwazeh in Persian, bab in 

 Arabic) of the mountain.f 



* Dr. Lee has this note : — " Knox describes these leeches as being rather 

 troublesome than dangerous. His words are : — 'There is a sort of leaches of 

 the nature of ours, onely differing in colour and bigness ; for they are of a dark 

 reddish colour like the skin of bacon, and as big as a goose-quill ; in length 

 some two or> three inches. At first, when they are young, they are no bigger 

 than a horse-hair, so that they can scarce be seen. In dry weather none of 

 them appear, but immediately upon the fall of rains, the grass and woods are 



full of them. These leaches seize upon the legs of travellers Some, therefore, 



will tie a piece of lemon and salt in a rag, and fasten it unto a stick, and ever 

 and anon strike it upon their legs to make the leaches drop off : others will scrape 

 them off with a reed, cut fiat and sharp in the fashion of a knife,'' &c. — Ceylon, p. 25. 

 See also the addition by Philalethes, p. 264." [Zolou = ? S. kudella, — B.~\ 



f " We had observed the preceding day, that from some place below the 

 station [Heramitipana] on the side on which we entered it, coming from 

 Palabaddala, the pilgrims brought up their supplies of water ; and on return- 

 ing from the Peak, in going down towards the Si'ta-gangula, we saw a descent 

 to our left, which mistaking for the proper path, one of us went partially 

 down before he discovered his error. About fifty or sixty feet below, he saw 

 a clearing in a small dell, in the centre of which was a square kind of tank ; 

 and this dell he determined to examine on the occasion of his third visit. The 

 result of the examination was, that he identified the station Heramitipana, and 

 this place, as that- described by Ibn Batuta, as 'the ridge of Alexander, in which 



