There is another island called Ceylon, with a circumference of over 2,000 miles, inhabited by countless snakes and a great number of wild animals, particularly elephants. On this island, there is a large mountain, said to be the place where Adam wept for 1,003 years after the death of his son. At the center of this mountain lies a beautiful plain with a small but plentiful lake. The locals believe this lake formed from the tears of Adam and Eve. However, this is unlikely, as the water actually springs from the lake's bottom. Furthermore, the lakebed is coated with precious stones, and the water is filled with leeches.
The king typically does not take these stones for himself but generously allows the poor to dive into the lake once or twice a year and keep whatever stones they manage to retrieve. To protect themselves from the leeches, the divers rub their skin with a fruit similar to a lemon, which they crush and apply before entering the water. This allows them to swim without the leeches clinging to them, and they emerge with some precious stones when they are able to collect them.
The water flowing down from the mountain and through this lake carries rubies, diamonds, and many other precious stones, including pearls, which are eventually swept into the sea. Because of this, the king of Ceylon is said to possess more precious stones than any other king in the world.
There is another island called Ceylon, with a circumference of over 2,000 miles, inhabited by countless snakes and a great number of wild animals, particularly elephants. On this island, there is a large mountain, said to be the place where Adam wept for 1,003 years after the death of his son. At the center of this mountain lies a beautiful plain with a small but plentiful lake. The locals believe this lake formed from the tears of Adam and Eve. However, this is unlikely, as the water actually springs from the lake's bottom. Furthermore, the lakebed is coated with precious stones, and the water is filled with leeches.
The king typically does not take these stones for himself but generously allows the poor to dive into the lake once or twice a year and keep whatever stones they manage to retrieve. To protect themselves from the leeches, the divers rub their skin with a fruit similar to a lemon, which they crush and apply before entering the water. This allows them to swim without the leeches clinging to them, and they emerge with some precious stones when they are able to collect them.
The water flowing down from the mountain and through this lake carries rubies, diamonds, and many other precious stones, including pearls, which are eventually swept into the sea. Because of this, the king of Ceylon is said to possess more precious stones than any other king in the world.
