An end was made of transferring this book from its original in the Portuguese language, translated into Castilian language, in Vitoria, the Emperor and King of Spain residing there, on the first day of March, of the year one thousand five hundred and twenty-four years, by Min. Cinturion,[353] Ambassador of the Community of Genoa, with the interpretation of Diego Ribero, Portuguese, Cosmographer of His Majesty, and Master of the Sailing charts.
ACCOUNT OF THE RUBIES, WHERE THEY GROW, OF THEIR VARIETY, AND OF HOW THEY ARE SOLD IN THE MALABAR COUNTRY.
Firstly, the rubies grow in the third India, and are for the most part gathered in a river which is called Peygu, and these are the best and the finest, which the Malabars call nir puco. Those which are sold for the prices written below must be very good, without any blemish: and in order to know their fineness the Indians put the point of their tongue upon them, and that which is the coldest and hardest is best: and in order to see its purity they take it up with wax by the finest point, and so look at it by the light, by which they see any blemish which it may have got. They are found in very deep caves which there are amongst the mountains. And in this river and country of Peygu they clean them, but do not work them, for they take them to other parts to be worked, principally in Palecate and the country of Narsynga.
| In Calicut and the whole Malabar country, eight fine rubies | ||
| of the weight of one fanam are worth ten fanaes[354] | x fs. | 10 |
| Four rubies of the said weight in perfection xx fanaes | xx fs. | 20 |
| Two weighing one fanam | xl fs. | 40 |
| One weighing one fanam | l fs. | 50 |
| One weighing three quarters of a fanam | xxx fs. | 30 |
| One weighing a fanam and a quarter | lxxv fs. | 75 |
| One weighing a fanam and a half is worth | c fs. | 100 |
| One which should weigh a fanam and three quarters | cl fs. | 150 |
| A ruby which weighs two fanaes is worth | cc fs. | 200 |
| One which should weigh two fanoes and a quarter | ccl fs. | 250 |
| One of two and a half | ccc fs. | 300 |
| One of two and three quarters and a half | cccc fs. | 400 |
| One of three fanoes | ccccl fs. | 450 |
| One of three fanoes and a quarter | d fs. | 500 |
| One of three and a half | dl fs. | 550 |
| One of three and three quarters | dc fs. | 600 |
| One of three fanoes three quarters and a half | dcxxx fs. | 630 |
| One of four fanoes | dclx fs. | 660 |
| One of four fanoes and a quarter | dcc fs. | 700 |
| One of four fanoes and a half | dcccc fs. | 900 |
| One of five fanoes | IU fs. | 1,000 |
| One of five fanoes and a half | IUCC fs. | 1,200 |
| One of six fanoes | IUd fs. | 1,500 |
They are usually worth these prices if they are perfect, and those which should not be perfect, or may have any spots, or have not got a good colour are worth much less, according to the choice of the buyer. A fanam weighs something more than two carats of our parts, and eleven fanoes and a quarter are a mitigal,[355] and six mitigals and a half make an ounce, and each fanan is worth here a real of silver.[356]