Page:Ancient Accounts of India and China.djvu/44

2 other, and are governed by a Queen. Among thee Ilands, they find Ambergreee in Lumps of extraordinary bignes; as alo in leer Pieces,in Form of Plants forcibly torn up. This Amber is produced at the Bottom of the Sea, as Plants are upon Earth; and when the Sea is troubled, the Violence of the Wave tears it up from the Bottom, and wahes it to the Shore, in form of a Muhroom, or a Truffle.

Thefe Iflands governed by a Woman, are full of that kind of the Palm-tree which bears the Coco-nut; and are one, two, three, or four Leagues ditant from each other, all inhabited, and planted with Coco-nut Trees. The Wealth of the Inhabitants conits in Shells [Cowries,] and even the Queen's Treaury is full of them. They ay there are no Artificers more expert than thee Ilanders ; and that of the Fibres of the Coco-nut they make whole Shirts, all of one Piece, Sleeves, Gullets and all, as alo half Veils [or Jacquets.] With the ame indutry, and with the ame Tree they build Ships and Houes; and they are skilful in all other orts of Workmanhip. Their Shells they have from the Sea, at times when they rie up to the Surface ; at which times the Inhabitants throw Branches of the Coco-nut-tree into the Sea, and the Shells tick to them. They call them Kabtaje.

Beyond thee Ilands, in the Sea of Harkand, is Sarandib, or Ceylon, the Chief of all thee Ilands, which are called Dobijat. It