“National Annals,” by CHING-TSEAOU, A.D. 1150.—­W[)a]n-heen tung-kaou, “Antiquarian Researches,” by MA-TWAN-LIN, A.D. 1319.  Of this remarkable work there is an admirable analysis by Klaproth in the Asiatic Journal for 1832, vol. xxxv. p. 110, and one still more complete in the Journal Asiatique, vol. xxi. p. 3.  The portion relating to Ceylon has been translated into French by M. Pauthier in the Journal Asiatique for April, 1836, and again by M. Stanislas Julien in the same Journal for July, 1836, t. xxix, p. 36.—­Y[)u]h-hae, “The Ocean of Gems,” by WANG-YANG-LIN, A.D. 1338.—­Taou-e chele[)o], “A General Account of Island Foreigners,” by WANG-TA-YOUEN, A.D. 1350.—­Ts[)i]h-ke, “Miscellaneous Record;” written at the end of the Yuen dynasty, about the close of the fourteenth century.—­Po-w[)u]h yaou-lan, “Philosophical Examiner;” written during the Ming dynasty, about the beginning of the fifteenth century.—­Se-y[)i]h-ke foo-choo, “A Description of Western Countries,” A.D. 1450.  This is the important work of which M. Stanislas Julien has recently published the first volume of his French translation, Memoires des Contrees Occidentales, Paris, 1857; and of which he has been so obliging as to send me those sheets of the second volume, now preparing for the press, which contain the notices of Ceylon by HIOUEN-THSANG.  They, however, add very little to the information already given in the Life and Travels of Hiouen-Thsang.—­Woo-he[)o]-peen, “Records of the Ming Dynasty,” by CHING-HEAOU, A.D. 1522.—­S[)u]h-wan-heen tung-kaou, “Supplement to the Antiquarian Researches,” by WANG-KE, A.D. 1603.—­S[)u]h-Hung keen-luh, “Supplement to the History of the Middle Ages,” by SHAOU-YUEN-PING, A.D. 1706.—­Ming-she, “History of the Ming Dynasty,” A.D. 1638-1643, by CHANG-TING-Y[)U]H, A.D. 1739.—­Ta-tsing y[)i]h-tung, “A Topographical Account of the Manchoo Dynasty,” of which there is a copy in the British Museum.]

Like the Greek geographers, the earliest Chinese authorities grossly exaggerated the size of Ceylon:  they represented it as lying “cross-wise” in the Indian Ocean[1], and extending in width from east to west one third more than in depth from north to south.[2] They were struck by the altitude of its hills, and, above all, by the lofty crest of Adam’s Peak, which served as the land-mark for ships approaching the island.  They speak reverentially of the sacred foot-mark[3] impressed by the first created man, who, in their mythology, bears the name of Pawn-koo; and the gems which are found upon the mountain they believe to be his “crystallised tears, which accounts for their singular lustre and marvellous tints."[4] The country they admired for its fertility and singular beauty; the climate they compared to that of Siam[5], with slight alterations of seasons; refreshing showers in every period of the year, and the earth consequently teeming with fertility.[6]