Note 72 — Chapter III

Note 72.—The Mountain of Loadstone. Several Arab writers describe this mountain of loadstone. El Ḳazweenee, in his account of minerals, says that the mine of loadstone is on the shore of the Indian Ocean, and that if the ships which navigate this sea approach the said mine, and contain anything of iron, it flies from them like a bird, and adheres to the mountain; for which reason, it is the general custom to make use of no iron in the construction of the vessels employed in this navigation.273 I think that I have met with a similar story in some Latin author.