_Referred to in the preceding Pages._
NOTE 1.—Ceylon is a large and mountainous island of Asia, in the Indian
ocean, on the coast of Coromandel. It is about 200 miles in length and
120 in breadth. It produces large quantities of cinnamon and pepper of a
superior quality; a great variety of beautiful and useful woods, but one
of the most remarkable of its trees is the tallipot, a single leaf of
which is large enough to shelter ten persons. It abounds in corn, rice,
elephants, buffaloes, goats, hogs, deer, hares, dogs, jackals, monkeys,
tigers, and bears. There are also mines, from whence are procured rubies,
sapphires, topazes, and other stones of inferior value. The natives of
the northern parts of the island are a hardy race, and called Bedas;
those on the south, Cinglasses, a people extremely superstitious,
worshipping idols of various monstrous forms. They are divided into
tribes like the Hindoos; and their language, which is said to be copious,
smooth, elegant, and expressive, is now made the medium not of imparting
the dogmas of gross superstition alone, but of conveying the light of
Revelation to the benighted souls of those remote islanders of the East;
the Scriptures being translated into Cingalese and received with grateful
avidity by the natives.
NOTE 2.—Ivory was highly valued and admired among the Jews and other
eastern nations of antiquity. The purity of its white and delicate
smoothness of the surface, with the durability of it (being not liable to
tarnish and rust like metals, or like wood to rot or become worm-eaten),
made it a favorite ornament in the furniture of the houses and palaces of
the great.—Amos (chap. vi.) speaks of beds or sofas of ivory, and the
ancient profane authors frequently name curious inlaid works of gold,
silver, and ivory. In short, it was used for almost every article of
superior elegance and luxury: vessels for different purposes, images of
the deities worshipped, ornaments of various kinds, couches, thrones and
footstools, also to ornament weapons of war; consequently a considerable
value was put upon the commodity. The Romans also used to inlay the
ceilings and walls of their saloons not only with gold, silver, and
beautiful woods, but also with ivory.
NOTE 3.—Borneo is an island in the Indian archipelago, about 800 leagues
in circumference, and divided into several states or kingdoms. It
produces aromatic herbs, oranges, lemons, mangoes, pines, palms in great
abundance; also fine mastic and other precious gums, with rice, cassia,
coffee, honey, cotton, camphire, frankincense, musk, aloes, and sweet
spices of all kinds. Diamonds and gold dust are found in the rivers.
The animals are elephants, buffaloes, oxen, horses, tigers, leopards,
bears, monkeys, deer, wild boars, goats, parrots, paroquets, and a great
variety of beautiful birds. There is also plenty of fine sea and river
fish. The inhabitants on the coast are Mahometans; those in the interior,
comparatively little known, are Gentoos. On the sea-coast, and near the
rivers, the land is usually overflowed half the year, by the heavy and
continual rains; to guard against which, some of the habitations are
built on floats, and others erected on high pillars. Borneo, the capital,
is built on piles, and is large and populous, with a good harbour on the
north of the island.