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



this name, neither in its chronicles 1 , nor in those of the Canaras , 

 nor in any language of India, has it any signification or is it 

 understood, wherefore it seems to us that it is a Greek name 

 given by Ptolemy, which was intended to signify some great- 

 ness or peculiarity of that island 2 ; because moreover the 

 name of Ceilao was given from those shoals on which the 

 Chins were wrecked near that island, which became so famous 

 thenceforward, that the island was then known not by its 

 proper name, but by that of the shoals : because as the 

 Persians and Arabs sailed to that island, and went in fear of 

 those shoals, they always bore them in their thoughts, saying 

 that they were going to Cinlao, or that they had come from 

 Cinlao, that is to say, that they were going to or coming from 

 the shoals of the Chins : and thus, the letters becoming 

 changed in course of time, that island continued being 

 called Ceilao 3 . 



And because on every occasion that offers itself we 4 seek 

 to show the great corruption that time has caused in all the 

 proper names of cities, kingdoms, rivers, mountains, simples, 

 drugs, and other things in these parts, we wish to begin at 

 once here, whilst we are still in this island, and tell all the 

 names of its cinnamon, both those that were given to it by 

 the Greeks, Latins, Persians, and Arabs, and those that it 

 has among all the nations of the East, and we shall show the 

 corruption that time has brought therein, which is the cause 

 of there being amongst all the physicians great confusion. 



Cinnamon 5 in this island, where grows the best in all the 

 East, is called corundo potra, which means "tree of bark" 6 . 

 The Malavares, where the worst and coarsest grows, call it 

 caroa potu, which is the same as " tree of bark " 7 : because the 

 bark, which the Chingallas call corundo, the Malavares term 

 caroa ; the Arabs call it car fa 8 . This name is current in 



1 Of. V. i. v. (p. 62). 



2 Couto may be excused for knowing nothing of the name Tamba- 

 panni. 



3 Of. Barros III. n. i. (p. 31). 



4 Here again Valentyn takes the credit to himself. 



5 Compare what follows with Garcia da Orta's fifteenth Coloquio, 

 and the notes thereon by the Conde de Ficalho, who justly thinks Couto 

 has appropriated from his compatriot. 



6 The explanation is, of course, wrong, kurundu-potta meaning 

 '* cinnamon bark." G. da Orta has cuurdo. 



7 Tarn, karuvdppattai — " cinnamon bark." G. da Orta has earned, 

 an evident misprint for carud. 



8 Arabic kirfat. 



