Thursday, January 31, 2008

SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS:TERRESTRIAL PARADISE































































SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS:

PORTUGESE NARRATION OF A TERRESTRIAL PARADISE: SRI LANKA bunpeiris The Historic Tragedy (1) of the island of Ceilao (2) Written by Captain Joao Ribeiro. Dedicated to His Most Serene Majesty Dom Pedro theSecond on 8th January 1685 at LisbonTranslated from Portuguese to English by P.E. PIERIS

Following is an extraction of the above mentioned book . Footnotes in italics are mine, for your entertainment. bunpeiris

I should wish all who have traveled over the world or have read of its greatness, to tell me if they have seen or heard of any part which produces the treasures which as we have shown, are to be found in this Island?
If we take the whole of Africa, we would not find there more than a little gold obtained by purchase, together with some amber & ivory. America produces gold, silver pearls, emeralds some amber & numerous drugs: but we ought to remember that so vast is the extent of this country, that it is named the New World, & that it stretches from Pole to Pole, including numerous kingdoms & provinces, & that the majority of them lack most of the articles we have described.
Those which have some have not got the others. Brazil produces sugar & tobacco; in Arabia there is incense, myrrh, dates & horses; in Persia, silk & some drugs, while pearls are found in the Gulf; in Gusaarate, cloth & drugs; in Canara, rice & pepper; in Malavar, pepper, cardamom & ginger; in the Xoromandal Coast, cloth; in the Kingdom of Carnate which is subject to Golconda, diamonds; in Bengla & throughout the Kingdom of the Mogor, cloth, rice, sugar, & wax. There are also numerous provinces which have some products & not others. In Pegu are found rubies & lacre; in Sumatra gold, copper, tin, benzoin & pepper; in Siam, benzoin & drugs; in China, gold, silk, musk & drugs; in Japao, silver & copper; in the Malucas, cloves; in Banda, nutmegs & mace; in Timor & Solar, sandal.
The products of each kingdom of Europe are well known, but they are more the result of cultivation than the gift of nature; accordingly we do not refer to them.
We see that several of the lands which we have named include numerous large kingdoms, & they cannot fail to have a reputation for great wealth. What then should we say about an island, the greatest length (2) of which is not more than seventy leagues, & which produces the five commodities we have described in such store?
Its cinnamon is the best in the world; its gems are in such abundance & only diamonds & emeralds are wanting; its elephants are the most prized of any within our discoveries, its pepper is the finest in the East, the pearls & seed pearls of its waters are considered very excellent.
I do not speak of the numerous other drugs which the island produces, & of which we take no account. Some amber is found on the coast.
Methinks that those who declared that this Island is the terrestrial Paradise, did not in consequence of its fertility or the profusion of every kind of dainty to support life, nor for the blandness or healthfulness of its climate, nor for the footprint (3) two palms long which the Gentiles have fabricated to attract veneration to the spot; but because while its extent is so limited, it produces such an abundance of riches.
Let us look at he inhabitants of Sofala, Mocambique, & Mombaca, where the trade consists in a little gold, amber & ivory, all purchased, & made the monopoly of the Governors & Captains of these forts. Instead of living in these lands devoid of all that is needed for the maintenance of life, & entirely unhealthy land, which is provided with everything, & pleasant for the life of man; where all would wealthy, & have something to sell without being obliged to buy; all our forces united, & not living in continual fear of defeat or attack; holding the entire Eastern submission so that Kings would be compelled to court our friendship; serving God, & having in that immense tract a firm rock on which to build the Faith of Jesus Christ; while our King would have a wealthy Empire founded on those same forts, which the deserving could be rewarded, with different revenues from what they yield now.

TO BE CONTINUED
(1) Portuguese held sway in the western & south western coastal belt of Sri Lanka. But they weren’t able to conquer the island. The failure to conquer the paradise island was considered a tragedy by the Portuguese.
(2) Ceilo (Portuguese), Zeilan (Dutch), Ceylon (British) Sri Lanka (since 1972)
(3) Adam’s Peak (click here to visit)


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YOU CAN SET SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS IN OUTLOOK EXPRESS


SRI LANKA Holidays

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[Sri Lanka Holidays ] 25
Tamil Thai Pongal Day (BPM),2008/1/15
Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/1/22
National Day (BPM),2008/2/4
Navam Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/2/20
Mahasivarathri Day (BP),2008/3/6
Milad-Un-Nabi (Holy Prophet’s Birthday) (BPM),2008/3/20
Medin Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/3/21
Good Friday (BP),2008/3/21
Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day (BPM),2008/4/12
Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day (BPM),2008/4/13
Bak Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/4/19
May Day (BPM),2008/5/1
Vesak Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/5/19
Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/5/20
Poson Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/6/18
Esala Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/7/17
Nikini Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/8/16
Binara Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/9/14
Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day) (BP),2008/10/01
Vap Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/10/14
Deepavali Festival Day (BP),2008/11/27
Il Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/11/12
Id-Ul-Alha (Hadji Festival Day) (BP),2008/12/9
Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day (BPM),2008/12/12
Christmas Day (BPM),2008/12/25

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Instructions

A) Backup the existing SRI LANKA Holidays file
1. Exit Outlook if it is running.
2. Locate Outlook.hol file and create a backup of it.
Outlook 2007: drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\1033\Outlook.hol
Outlook 2003: drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\1033\Outlook.hol

B) Update the Outlook Holiday file
 1. Exit Outlook if it is running.
2. Open the Outlook.hol file in a text editor, such as Notepad.
3. If you're doing this for the first time, copy and paste the above section between "Start Copy" and "End Copy" to the end of the Outlook.hol file. Update your existing list with the above if you've already have a section for the Sri Lanka Holidays.
4. Save and close Outlook.hol.

C) To update the Outlook calendar
 1. Start Outlook.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
3. On the Preferences tab, under Calendar, click Calendar Options.
4. In the Calendar Options dialog box, under Calendar options, click Add SRI LANKA Holidays.
5. Select the check box "Sri Lanka HOLIDAYS " and click OK.

Note: If a set of SRI LANKA holidays or events observed has already been selected in the Add SRI LANKA Holidays to Calendar dialog box and you try to add the same again, you see the message, " SRILANKA Holidays for country are already installed. Do you want to install them again?" Click No. If you click Yes, the SRI LANKA holidays and events are installed a second time, and you will see duplicate holiday and event entries in your calendar.