.,2 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XX. 



language, where we saw it ; and the cause why they gave it 

 this name we have written in our Geography. 



And it appears that in that most ancient time, of which its 

 geographers wrote, it was of the size that its natives make it, 

 saying that it had a circumference of more than seven hundred 

 leagues, and that the sea went on eating it away, and hence 

 would result (if we wish to justify Ptolemy) the giving to it 

 such a length , that it extends beyond the equinoctial line two 

 and a half degrees towards the south 1 . And this being so, 

 it may be true, as Pliny relates, that in the time of Claudius 

 there came four ambassadors" to Rome from the king of this 

 island, Tapobrana, and that they were amazed to see the 

 shadows that the sun made falling in the direction of this our 

 habitation and not towards theirs, which was over against the 

 south, they dwelling beyond the equinoctial line 2 . And it 

 appears moreover that in the time of Ptolemy there was already 

 some knowledge of this name Ceilam ; because in speaking of 

 it he says that anciently they called it Salyca, and the natives 

 Sali. The name Simondi would be at the time when the Chijs 

 ruled it, and that because of them, with reference to those 

 that sailed to it from these parts of the Red Sea, they would 

 give it that name, because the same Chijs Ptolemy, 

 speaking of their proper region, calls Sinde. And afterwards, 

 for the cause which as we have said proceeded from them, 

 having lost possession of that island, it was called Seilam, 

 which corresponds to the corrupt name of Salyca, or Sali, by 

 which he calls it 3 . 



And the peoples of the kingdom of Siam 4 , speaking of it. 

 call it Lamca, and hold by the tradition of their writings that it 

 was formerly joined to the opposite mainland of Cape Comorij , 

 and this at the time that Adam came to inhabit it, for so they 

 call by his proper name the first man, and by another name 

 they call him Po Con, which means " first father" 5 , of which 



1 On this see Ten. i. 6-10, 558-9 n. 



2 See Ten. i. 558. But it is very doubtful if these " ambassadors " 

 came from Ceylon at all. 



3 All this is mere unscientific conjecture on the part of Barros. 

 On the statements of Ptolemy see the work referred to infra, p. 81, 

 note 6 . 



4 The reason for bringing Siam in here seems to be that Barros was 

 about to describe that country and its people (he does so in III. n. v.). 

 He does not seem to have known, when he wrote, that the name Lahka 

 came from India. (On this name see p. 65 infra. ) 



6 According to E. B. Michell's Siamese-Eng. Diet., paiv= father, and 

 poo = male ; while horn = first, and khon = man, person. (Cf. also 

 C. Lit. Reg. iv. 118.) 



