4 Defcripion of CEYLON. 
f\J\^ not what unfortunate Sight (Rofto Mofin- 
Bitldcem. j^Q j ^^^g jy^ ,^^y jp^y fjji^ ^^ly^ 
TheirSu^ Thuson the Coaft of Corontandel, thty 
ferfiition. look iipon it as fortunate, if they fee a 
cer tain red Bird, with a white Ring a- 
bout his Neck. John van Trviji in his De- 
Icription of Gufumte^ tells us of the Na- 
tives there, that they look upon it as a 
good Sign, if they meet an Elephant or 
Camel loaden or unloaden, a Horfe with- 
out a Burden, or a Cow or Buffler with 
Water on their Backs, for without a 
Load they were accounted unfortunate ^ 
a Ram or Dog with a piece of Meat in 
his Mouth, a Cat palTing to the right 
hand of them : they alfo reckon it for- 
tunate, if they meet any Body that car- 
ries Meat, Milk and Butter, or if a Cock 
croflTes the way. 
it is certain, that the Obfervatibns of 
the Cries and Flights of the Birds have 
not only beenufuai among the antient Ro- 
mans^ but alfo the Jews^ with feveral o- 
therfuch like Superftitions, Prediftions, 
asking Advice from the Devil.^ the find- 
ing out of ftolen or loft Goods, &c. for 
Necromancy was forbid, Ifa. 8. 19. In- 
cantations, A^f 1 9- 1 1* Obfervations of 
the Cries of the Birds, Ez.ek. 21. 21. the 
choice of certain Days, EJlb. 3.7. & 9. 
24. the confulting of Woods, Hof. 4. 
1 2. befides which, the Prediftions from 
the different Appearance of the Water, 
Air, Fire and Earth, out of certain Uni- 
on of Charaders or Numbers (called C<j- 
hala) Chiromancy, Aftrology, Infpeai- 
ons into the Magic Glafs, and fuch like 
Diabolical Illuiions, defcribed more at 
large by Peucerus in his Treatife, de varivs 
Bivinationum gtneribiis. 
Befides the Artifans and Handicraftf- 
men, whereof there is great Plenty in 
lawyers Jafnapatnam, they have certain Perfons 
in Jafna- who apply themfelves to the Law ; and 
patnam. in the high Court of juftice, compofed 
of Hollanders and Indians^ were fet al- 
ways (befides the Modeliars') a certain 
Perfon well verfed in the Laws and Con- 
ftitutions of hi; Native Country. They 
have alfo their Advocates, who make 
very long Speeches in their Pleadings, 
Their Fhy^ Neither are they deftitute of Phyfici- 
ficians. ans, fuch as thsy are ^ for to fpeak Truth 
they are more than Erapiricks, who 
pradife according to certain Books and 
Traditions, tranfmitted to them by their 
Anceftors, and confirm'd to them by 
their own Experience. They know not 
what Anatomy is, and very little of the 
nature of purging Medicines, which are 
not often ufed in this hot Climate : How- 
ever when a Purge is to be given (whe- 
ther a Potion or Pills) the Compofition 
is always made of frefh Herbs and if it 
works too ftrong, they mix fome poude- 
red Pepper with Water, and apply it to 
the Navel in the nature of an Ointment. 
I cin tell it by my own experience, that 
it is a good Remedy againft the Belly-acb 
and Loofenefs. 
They have alfo good Store of Surgeons 
and Barbers, the lafl: carry always a 
fmall Looking-glafs along with them, 
their Rafors are thicker on the back than 
ours they not only fliave your Beard 
and Head, but alfo pare your Hand and 
Toe Nails, and cleanfe your Ears. 
Weavers are here in abundance. Thefe 
fit flat upon the Ground, their Feet be- 
ing plac'd in a Hole dug for that pur- 
pole, whilfl they are at work. 
Callico-Printers or Painters are num- 
berlefs here, who have a way of prepa- 
ring their Colours, that they never go 
out by v/afliing, tho thofe printed at Jaf" 
napatnam are not near fo good as thole 
of the Coaft of Coromandel^ and efpeci- 
ally thofe done at MafiiUpatan. 
They are excellent Workmen in Ivory 
and Ebony Wood, as likewife in Gold 
and Silver, and will come with their 
Tools (which are but few) to work in 
the Houfes of the Duteh. They are ex- 
actly well verfed in the effaying of Gold. 
They are as well provided with Smiths, 
Carpenters and Bricklayers, as moft Pla- 
ces in Europe^ tho a Carpenter or Brick- 
layer gets not above five or fix Pence 
a day. 
Having thus given you a full account 
of the Kingdom of Jafnapatnawy we 
will now go from thence along the Sea- 
fhorc to Trinquenemale, taken 1^39 by 
Mv. Anthony Caan^ which might have been 
done before whilffc Mr. Adam Wefterwold 
was in Ceylon (there being no more than 
50 Men in Garifon) had not Raja Singa 
bent his Thoughts upon Batecalo, or as 
fome will have it u])on Matecalo. TriH' 
quenemale has a molt excellent Harbour, 
(as you may fee by the Draught) nay to 
fpeak the Truth, the bell and largeft in 
the vv^hole Ifle of there being more 
fecure riding at anchor here, than in 
the Harbours of Belligamme^ Gale 01 Co- 
lumbo. 
This Place was feveral times relin- 
quilh'd and rebuilt by our Company, ef- 
pecially during our War with the Eng- 
li/J}^ it being not thought convenient to 
leave fo good a Harbour, and fo conve- 
niently feated for the interrupting all 
Correfpondence betwixt Foreigners and 
Raja Singa, to the Difcretion of an E- 
nemy 
and Biir 
bers^ 
Weavers 
Painters, 
Other Han-' 
dkraftf 
men. 
ncmale. 
