ds are brought. In this island the
king has a mass of earth growing in the middle of the river, which is
gold; and when he is in want of gold, they cut part of this earth and
melt it, whereof cometh gold. This mass of earth is only to be seen once
a year, in the month of April, when the water is low. _Bima_ is another
island among the Javas, where the women labour as our men do in England,
and the men keep the house or go where they will[427].

[Footnote 427: All the names of these islands among the Javas, or isles
of Sunda are unintelligibly corrupt.--E.]

The 28th of March 1588, I returned from Malacca to Martaban, and thence
to Pegu, where I remained the second time till the 17th of September,
and then went to Cosmin where I took shipping; and escaping many dangers
from contrary winds, it pleased God that we arrived in Bengal in
November. I had to remain there, for want of a passage, till the 3d
February 1589, when I embarked for Cochin. In this voyage we suffered
great hardships for want of water; for the weather was very hot, and we
were many on board, merchants and passengers, and we had many calms. It
pleased God that we arrived in Ceylon on the 6th of March, where we
staid five days, to furnish ourselves with water and necessary
provisions.

Ceylon is a beautiful and fertile island, yet by reason of continual
wars with the king, every thing is very dear, as he will not suffer any
thing to be brought to the castle belonging to the Portuguese, so that
they are often in great want of victuals, and they are forced to bring
their provisions every year from Bengal. The king is called rajah and is
very powerful, for he comes sometimes against Columbo, where the
Portuguese have their fort, with 100,000 men and many elephants. But
they are all naked people, though many of them are excellent marksmen
with their muskets. When the king talks with any man, he stands on one
leg, setting the other foot on his knee, with his sword in his hand; as,
according to their customs the king never sits. He is dressed in a fine
painted cotton cloth wrapped about his middle; his hair long and bound
about his head with a small fine cloth, and all the rest of his body
naked. His guard is a thousand men, which stand round about him. They
are all Chingalese, who are said to be the best kind of the Malabars.
They have very large ears, as the larger they are the more honourable
they are esteemed, some being a span long. They burn the wood of