826 
A Defcripion of CEYLON. 
rN^"^ Elks, tame and wild Boats, Hares and 
Bald^us. Partridges, Peacocks and Apes in abun- 
dance. 
The Woods here produce alfo feme 
Tygm mi ravenous Beafts, as Tygers, tho I never 
Bms. favv any, but had a Grey-hound given me 
by a PortuguefCy who bore the marks of 
a Tyger's Claws on his Buttocks. Bears 
I have feen both in Jafnapatnam and 
Manaar ; I faw once five or lix young 
ones drowned in Manaay by the Inhabi- 
tants, who had found them at Mantotte^ 
and thought fit to take this courfe with 
them to prevent their increafe. 
Jaik^h: They abound alfo in Jackals, a Crea- 
ture very greedy after Mens Flefli, for 
which reafon they cover their Graves 
with great Stones; they fometimes take 
them with Grey-hounds, but when they 
are hard put to it, they pifs, which 
emits fo naufeous a fcent that the Hounds 
can't endure it. The Flelh of the Jackals 
is given with good fuccefs by the Phyfi- 
cians of the Country to cure the Con- 
fumption. Towards the Evening the 
Jackals meet and make a moft dreadful 
noife, and will fome times fall upon 
Paflengers. In my time a Caffer who was 
in drink had his Teeth eaten out by the 
Jackals. The Jackal is not unlike a Fox, 
and has exactly fuch a Tail. The Ma- 
labars call the Jackals Adiviis. I faw but 
one Leopard in the Ille of Ceylon, and not 
one Unicorn or Rhinoceros. 
Ceylon affords vaft quantities of Birds, 
caird by the Inhabitants by peculiar 
^y,^^ Names. Crows you ftiall fee by thou- 
fands about Noon upon the Houfes, but 
they are fo cunning as not eafily to be ftiot 
except through a hole or fmall Window. 
Towards night they leave the Towns, 
and retire to the Trees in the Country, 
and in the morning early look about for 
Prey. If one of them happens to be 
kill'd, the reft make a moft terrible Out- 
cry. 
Aiifarps of There are certain Birds in Ceylon call'd 
Fowl and Minhotos by the Portuguefes, who often 
make bold with the young Chickens ; they 
have alfo Owls that make a dreadful 
noife in the night-time. They abound 
1 in Geefe, Herons, wild and tame Ducks, 
Peacocks, Pigeons, Turtles, Partridges, 
Parrocets, of moft delicious colours; 
Peewits, Swallows, Bats, &c. Among 
the reft here is a certain Bird which builds 
his Neft hanging on the Branches of the 
Trees : They have alfo abundance of fine 
finging Birds, Nightingals and Larks in 
abundance, Sea-gulls, Water-fnipes, Bees, 
Fire-flies, Gnats and Locufts. 
Ceylon produces great plenty of Fifh, f'Jhs. 
as Cacap, Plaice, Crabs, Pikes, King fifhes, 
Sail-fi(hes^ Ci-aw-fiflies, Haddocks, Galleon- 
fi/hes^ Sharks, Orados, Sardins, large 
Smelts, Bat-fi[hes, Seals, Oifters, Muf- 
cles, Shrimps, PampuSy Barbels, Bomtos, 
CorquadoSy &c. 
Among the Amphibious Creatures, the cmodrla. 
Kaiman or Crocodile, call'd Lagarto by 
the Portuguefesy is very frequent here; 
fome of which are 18 foot long. They 
have four Feet with crooked Claws, their 
Skin cover'd with Scales, which are fo 
hard upon the Back, that they are Muf- 
quet proof ; fo that they are not vulnera- 
ble except in the Belly and Eyes : Their 
under Jaws are unmovable, but they have 
lharp Teeth: Their Back-bones being 
without Joints, they can't turn Ihort, 
whence the beft way to efcape them, is to 
get away from them by many windings 
and turnings. 'Tis generally believ'd 
here that the Crocodile has a Stone or 
rather Bone in the Head, which given in 
Fouder is an excellent Remedy againft 
the Stone. The Bones of the Sharks are 
accounted very good againft the fame 
Diftemper. 
Mr. Rochefort fays, that in fome of the 
Rivers of the 1{\qs of America are certain 
Crocodiles that fmell like Mufque. i 
have with amazement feen Crocodiles 
lying upon the Water like Logs of Wood » 
with their Eyes ihut ; and if they hap- 
pen to meet with a Prey, they leap at it 
on a fudden, like an Arrow from the 
Bow. 
Fincent k Blanc tells us a ftory of a 
Burgermafter's Servant of Alexandria^ 
who pafling near the River-fide was de- 
vour'd by a Crocodile which he took for 
a Log of Wood fwimming upon the 
Water. They fay that they have a white 
Fat, which is an excellent Remedy againft 
fliarp Humours that fettle in any part of 
the Body. In Jafnapatnam there are ma- 
ny Crocodiles in the Fens, Ponds and 
Lakes, which if they happen to dry up 
in the Summer, they dig holes to live in 5, 
we were often vifited by them in our 
Camp before Jafnapatnam, but they did 
no mifchief. The Chinefes make a dainty 
Difli of the young Crocodiles. 
In the Ifle of Manaar are great num- Pmufmes 
bers of very large Porcupines^ or Sea- 
hogs s they have very fliarp Teeth, and 
their Flefli is fit for Food ; the Females 
have Breafts and Milk, they come often 
alhore and feed upon Herbs. 
* CHAP. 
