gems, Ceylon, Sri Lanka, colored stones, pearls, diamonds

A broad descriptive account of Ceylon, treating its geography, people, customs, history, and natural productions. Of gemological interest, the book includes chapters devoted to colored gemstones, pearls, and diamonds. Sachot discusses Ceylon’s mineral riches and the precious stones for which the island was long celebrated, while his treatment of the pearl fisheries describes the important banks off the northwest coast near Condatchy (Kondachchi), including the seasonal gathering of divers, merchants, and traders and the recovery and marketing of the pearls.