And Those Isles Be Right Where
That The Red Sea Departeth From The Sea Ocean.
And in those isles
men see there no stars so clearly as in other places.
For there
appear no stars, but only one clear star that men clepe Canapos.
And there is not the moon seen in all the lunation, save only the
second quarter.
In the isle also of this Taprobane be great hills of gold, that
pismires keep full diligently. And they fine the pured gold, and
cast away the un-pured. And these pismires be great as hounds, so
that no man dare come to those hills for the pismires would assail
them and devour them anon. So that no man may get of that gold,
but by great sleight. And therefore when it is great heat, the
pismires rest them in the earth, from prime of the day into noon.
And then the folk of the country take camels, dromedaries, and
horses and other beasts, and go thither, and charge them in all
haste that they may; and after that, they flee away in all haste
that the beasts may go, or the pismires come out of the earth. And
in other times, when it is not so hot, and that the pismires ne
rest them not in the earth, then they get gold by this subtlety.
They take mares that have young colts or foals, and lay upon the
mares void vessels made there-for; and they be all open above, and
hanging low to the earth.
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