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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
CHAP. XV. HISTORY OF SAGAMONI BORCAN
321
pression remained as a seal to show that Lanka is the inheritance of Budha, and that his religion will here flourish." (Hardy's Manual, p. 212. )
[Ma-Huan says (p. 212) : " On landing (at Ceylon), there is to be seen on the shining rock at the base of the cliff, an impress of a foot two or more feet in length. The legend attached to it is, that it is the imprint of Shâkyamuni's foot, made when he landed at this place, coming from the Ts'ui-lan (Nicobar) Islands. There is a little water in the hollow of the imprint of this foot, which never evaporates. People dip their hands in it and wash their faces, and rub their eyes with it, saying : ` This is Buddha's water, which will make us pure and clean. "—H. C.]
" The veneration with which this majestic mountain has been regarded for ages, took its rise in all probability amongst the aborigines of Ceylon. . . . In a later age, . . . . the hollow in the lofty rock that crowns the summit was said by the
Adam's Peal;.
"Or .est b.olr tit Ctt reste pie :L lint lltorit,lgI1C mout haut rt ßl bcgrot be 1£s rorrllrs .qe nut Ili puent monter sus se ne cit resit =inert .ge it box
birai" . . . .
Brahmans to be the footstep of Siva, by the Buddhists of Buddha, . . . by the Gnostics of Ieu, by the Mahometans of Adam, whilst the Portuguese authorities were divided between the conflicting claims of St. Thomas and the eunuch of Candace, Queen of Ethiopia." ( Tennent, II. 133.)
[" Near to the Icing's residence there is a lofty mountain reaching to the skies. On the top of this mountain there is the impress of a man's foot, which is sunk two feet deep in the rock, and is some eight or more feet long. This is said to be the impress of the foot of the ancestor of mankind, a Holy man called A-tan, otherwise P'an-Ku." (lila-Huan, p. 213.)-H. C.]
Polo, however, says nothing of the foot; he speaks only of the sepulchre of Adam, or of Sakya-muni. I have been unable to find any modern indication of the monument that was shown by the Mahomedans as the tomb, and sometimes as the house, of Adam ; but such a structure there certainly was, perhaps an ancient Kist-vaen, or the like. John Marignolli, who was there about 1349, has an interesting passage on the subject : " That exceeding high mountain hath a pinnacle of surpassing height, which on account of the clouds can rarely be seen. [The summit is lost in the clouds. (Ihn hhordddhbeh, p. 43.)—II. C.] But God, pitying our tears, lighted it up one morning just before the sun rose, so that we beheld it glowing with the brightest flame. [They say that a flame bursts constantly, like a lightning, from the Summit of the mountain.—(Ibn Khordddlzbeh, p. 44. )—H. C.] In the way down from this mountain there is a fine level spot, still at a great height, and there you find in order : first, the mark of Adam's foot ; secondly, a certain statue of a sitting figure, with the left hand resting on the knee, and the right hand raised and extended towards the west ;
VOL. II. X
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