calculated for the general reader Ihan the' man of ’science:1: But
P h o p d the! public will make;:Söme! allowance for "the habits* of
iny 'pèofessionj a n d 'if l sècceed ;m afEbrding:eithêr amuserneftt
or histruGtioni I trust | théy^il(ekcusé a little deficiency in system
iriatic knowledge. 1 ,
- j Before proceeding do the principal object of this work, a des-
cription}of!the-presetit«state ofi>the-Island of Ceylon, ikwillpro-
bably gratify’ Curiosity to give a short account of its: dnbièöt his—'
tory, aiKt the ^ b b e s^ é r-^ p ^ e é ' it hasr undergone, -isincé it' came
into the: '.possession of Europeans. , uSuchu sketch is efOii üecés-
saiy to-throw light on its present state, and to point -out the. Way
to its farther improvement, by shewing the errorsöcommitted by
its former possessors, v
Previous to the ardvai of. the Boifu^esesihttleds known ofi'thé
history of.-Ceylon. j . I t is said tovi have, bee» celébrated fof-^its’
spices evert in the earliest ages.;' and it is :henCe. that Soföhiórti is
supposed to have brought the spieeries’and precious fstones, för thè:
use and embellishment of his temple. '• Such vagufe’ traditions;^höv&.’
ever, are nowise to -be depended upon ; and thes-traditions 6f the'
natives ( throw no light whatever on the' ancient -state 'of the
island.
In the traditionary, accounts' which . are current among the
Ceylonese, we have nothing more than a mere catalogue of söitte of
their princes, accompanied by ai'lofig listed® high-sounding titles,
and some uninteresting details ofi their petty wars and commotions.
From some of these accounts which have: beèti
committed to manuscript, we learn that Lankaw Patti Ma-
hadaseyn, or the much beloved offspring of the always moving’
Sun, who lived at a distant period, was sovereign of the;'Wholer
island. His two grandsons, however, quarrelled about the possessions
iWbiehdih Arb een ,, lefö^thémv and at last compromised
their; disputeéjby^iiivÆ^|i^t>h.e:'islan^îbètweeri them; 'do thé
ottejwete allotted thé dnterior fpàtts which fo rm a te présent,kingdom)
of Gandy,' and‘ to^SèoÎQfhBh -all -thedipw cbtm'try bordering
on, feà^^â-idasIs.f'A'l
t ThiSt rdivïsiönj r;df itthe^éjaild', gà-ÿe '«aSh^to a long.is'eriès; of
eâÉil't wars,,) and »^^d-shèerr ‘I t afeo
set; (then example*,<-o'fr;‘ pór tjtiobj'ng, .-the,'! lèingd^iÿw^Sdcfeg v,tKé
childrejinbfn thé'xsaveneign t^a-nd-dwing^tö- this»* cause'iJkere, Wéte
not I lessîfthân, f six or* \cvîm ;prn ( 1 a t " tf$k «„line
tithe;, cover' sépara ten ï diMis® nsg;[©f-/t; eyl|>n ^ thi|j^fneaM d
spirit, i©f ' j^iSBèîfâioïlv and $déós | öft' sfepàrâîlé1;iintè^ë^tÿ wetetrin-
.tï^iticed" JnWg f 1^1 natives! ^ôfi the;o tp$b!Wg!es;;') aipH
alfhqugh tlagy: becafrîep; afterwards^ 'unt^djudder«the-. Monarch,
.yetgjpêy ypÿeb rendered léssYzeaîôm| in
QOüse, and ip o ré a ^ x fd , be »ïhbyedj arts s^^itiekMpjè--
iuiéSï* who, /found thfjj|( interest in .stirriê'g’ u p fèi^k'|4^imötiotit
among--them. '•yAftçç ^ î^M d n d , had, ^ e e i^ ^ è â r â è è ^ by
the j r perpetual, ;quarrel§,rjofn itsüprinces,, ZihalÉlIDarma7 gerià
j^daseynj a t.’last was,-, enabled to subdue^, ailnhis.,^eoinpetiters;
ahthfo establish himself firmly as its sol§^$mopai5ch.^(yI^hw’-
ried •hioréousin," who. i wasjlsó«,famed' foiCher- personal Charms,
as^-tq. acquire the name of - Roke Wancjiggie, jp ^ th e Beautiful
Queen. rProm,. thisy union sprung, fhej-^inèegf who: r-ulqd^ivei?
QpyJop.; when?$t ; wa§ hrstfj visitéd .',^ ptkq Port^gufesq« ^
rphe .earliest 3;perid|l0t ' which, 'we ^pUfpogl^ fqifeany, avgifieritiè
or ' interesting. i n f o r iM t i è p , ;tile % fiy a lyqf yf>he>,.portngpgj^
under Alineyda, ipltlie yeai; ;l^Q5),nJBeing ,,accidentally
by stress ,-of .weather intoc ,qng, pf-,,%obarbqui:s af | he
was-, hospitably- Received,j by ,»the , inhabitants^g/f he, .sit^tipir-iqf