THE ASIATIC SOCIETIES.
Feb. 2, 1872.]
an auspicious marriage in obedience to our royal in structions, with the view of perpetuating hereafter the Kshatriya caste, of which the line has remain ed unbroken since we established our sovereign ty over men at Shriwardanapura, formerly Senkada Sila, the most prosperous and wealthy of all cities; and whereas Vijiyasundara Rájakarunayaka Herat Mudiyannehé is descended from the "Brahman Shri Wánea Chandraya, who was a descendant from the Brahmans summoned from Dambadiva by the King Dapuhessenam, and was afterwards called by his ma jesty Bhuwanéka Bahu who reigned at Dambadéniya, after having built the temple of Vishnu at Alut-newara, and removed there the divine image from the city of the gods, and was appointed Basnayaka Nilama of the Mahá-dewala, as instructed by Vishnu in a dream,
after having received a grant of land and a she-ele phant and various offices of state, together with lands at Lewuke, and having married a lady of the family of Widagama Terunnánse—a favourite of the great and victorious Shri-Prákama-Báhu on account of his
faithful services, and the recipient of many emolu ments and offices, lived at Lewuke to be (here follon, the names of the lands and their boundaries) possessed by Mudyannehé and his children and grand-children from generation to generation free of all taxes and tolls. ‘This copper sannas was granted in the Shaka year 1665, in the month Medindina on the fifth Wednesday after the full moon, Mars being in the ascendant.”
Next follow—4, “Notes on the Geological ori gin of South Western Ceylon, together with its relation to the rest of the Island,” by Hugh Nevill, Esq., F. Z. S.; 5, “Inscription at Waeligami Viháre : text, translation, and notes,” by T. W. Rhys Davids, C.C. S. At Wasligama—the half way village be tween Galle and Mátara, there are two Viháres : “one called Agra Bhodi—a fine Viháre on the top of a hill, whose founder is unknown, and which has a Galsannas of very modern date ; the other is called Waeligama Gane Viháre aud is on the plain.
There is a very ancient Bó-tree and large Dahgoba at this place, but for a Viháre only a small modern building, corresponding to the wording of the sannas, which speaks only of a Sakmana or covered corridor for priests to walk in-corresponding to the ancient colonnades.
From
this Sakmana is
derived the name of the village of Hakmana. The inscription is on a stone built into the wall round the dahgoba, and is translated by Mr. Davids as follows :-
“In the sixth year of the revered Lord Emperor
59
cocoa-nut garden, and ten slaves and a yoke of oxen, and round torches and go blets with spouts, and a row of lamp-stands (for illumination) and palanquins, doli-kunan) and leather, and cushions, and mat tresses, and cloths woven with silk and hemp to spread over (seats for guests), and tubs and iron basins together with other things of this kind proper for the priesthood . . it is proper for all good men who in the future shall be, to maintain without dispute this cloister (Sakma na) or wiháre, improved by the king's family, which (cloister) has been made to add merit to the revered king Bhuwanaika Báhu who brought me up, and (thus) to obtain the bliss (mok sha) of release in heaven.”
6, “Dondra inscription No. I, Text, Translation and Notes,” by the same. This inscription was on an upright slap of granite resembling a gravestone, and standing under the cocoanut palms on the sea shore at Dondra. It was removed by Mr. Davids to a place of safety. The translation records the grant of lands “in Náwadunne (now Naot
tunne) and Pátegama, and the produce of Bat gama, where the Atupatto Arachchi made the dam,” that it might continue for ever as the places “now included in the Parawāsara” (now Parawehera) to the Nagarisa Nila (Vishnu) temple in Dondra, by Siri Sangabo Siri Vijaya Båhu in the Shaka year 1432.”
7, “On the second species of Zosterops inhabit ing Ceylon,” by W. W. Legge, Hon. Sec.; 8, “Further notes on the Ornithology of Ceylon,” by the same ; 9, “On various Birds of the Western Province,” by the same; 10, “On the Origin of the Shri-Páda or Sacred Foot-print on the summit of Adam's Peak,” by W. Skeen, Esq. This is an elaborate paper of fifty pages 11, “The Romanized Text of the first five chap ters of the Bālāvatāra, a Pali Grammar, with trans lation and explanatory notes,” by L. L. Lee, C.C.S ; 12, “Specimens of Sinhalese Proverbs, " by Louis de Zoysa, Mudaliyar. These are one hundred in number, from which we may give as specimens : “Like the mad -woman's basket of herbs,'—an ill assorted mixture; ‘Cannot drink as it is hot, and cannot throw away as it is Kanji'—an unpleasant dilemma ; ‘The idle man has divine (prophetic,)
eyes'—forbodes and magnifies difficulties no one else sees; ‘He murders saints but drinks water after straining'—straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel; “When the deer trespasses on his fleld, he comes home and beats the deer's skin'—not able to
Siri Sangabo Siri Bhuwanaika Báhu,” the minister named Kalu Parákarama having given wages to the workmen, and having given in perpetuation the four gifts to the two priests who reside economizing in this (cloister) common to the priesthood; and also —in order that the gifts might be given for a day to the reverend priesthood coming from the four direc tions—(having given) ten amunas sowing extent of paddy-field which he had bought and a fruit-bearing
cat, I will tear him to pieces;’ “If one personates a dog he must go where he is whistled for * * Like placing a ladder to the jumping monkey’; ‘Even
- It is uncertain “which Bhauwanaika Bahu this was :
1464, but according to Buduguna lankara (quoted in Alwis's
but judging from the form of the letters it must be either the sixth, who came to the throne, according to Turnour, in
came to the throne in 1534, and was shot by accident by a Portuguese sportsman.”
punish the real offender he vents his anger on the inoffensive ; ‘ One pats on the head to pluck out the eyes'—flatters to injure ; ‘If the dog bite your leg would you bite his 2’ ‘The rat who was re
turning home drunk with toddy, said, if I meet a
Sidat Sangārāwa pp. 92,200) in 1469 –or the seventh, who
