not hauing any other refuge to saue themselues. The flat
bottomed boates goe safe thorow, where as the small shippes if they misse
the aforesayd chanell, sticke fast on the Sholdes, and by this meanes many
are lost: and comming backe for the Indies, they goe not that way, but
passe by the chanell of Manar as is abouesayd, whose chanell is Oazie, and
if the shippes sticke fast, it is a great chance if there be any danger at
all. The reason why this chanell is not more sure to goe thither, is,
because the windes that raigne or blowe betweene Zeilan and Manar, make the
chanell so shalow with water, that almost there is not any passage. From
Coa Comori to the Iland of Zeilan is 120. miles ouerthwart.

Zeilan. [Footnote: Ceylon.]

Zeilan is an Iland, in my iudgement, a great deale bigger then Cyprus: on
that side towards the Indies lying Westward is the citie called Columba,
which is a hold of the Portugales, but without walles or enimies. It hath
towards the Sea a free port, the awfull king of that Iland is in Colombo,
and is turned Christian, and maintained by the king of Portugall, being
depriued of his kingdome. The king of the Gentiles, to whom this kingdome
did belong, was called Madoni, which had two sonnes, the first named
Barbinas the prince; and the second Ragine. This king by the pollicie of
his yoonger sonne, was depriued of his kingdome, who because hee had
entised and done that which pleased the armie and souldiours, in despight
of his father and brother being prince, vsurped the kingdome, and became a
great warriour. First, this Iland had three kings; the King of Cotta with
his conquered prisoners: the king of Candia, which is a part of that Iland,
and is so called by the name of Candia, which had a reasonable power, and
was a great friend to the Portugals, which sayd that hee liued secretly a
Christian; the third was the king of Gianifampatan. In thirteene yeeres
that this Ragine gouerned this Iland, he became a great tyrant.

In this Iland there groweth fine Sinamom, great store of Pepper, great
store of Nuttes and Arochoe: there they make great store of Cairo
[Footnote: Cairo is a stuffe that they make rope with, the which is the
barke of a tree.] to make Cordage: it bringeth foorth great store of
Christall Cats eyes, or Ochi de Gati, and they say that they finde there
some Rubies, but I haue sold Rubies well there that I brought with me from
Pegu. I was desirous to see how they gather the Sinamom, or ta