352 Voyage of the Novara. 



they must be well smoothed beforehand, and all inequalities 

 removed. In order to render the writing more clear and 

 legible, the Cingalese rub it with a mixture of cocoa-nut oil 

 and fine pulverized wood-ashes, which imparts to it durability 

 and prevents obliteration. Great numbers, however, use the 

 leaves of another species of palm for writing upon, viz. 

 the Palmyra palm {Borassus JlabeUiformis'), but those of the 

 Talipot are preferred to all others for their closeness of texture, 

 and are alone used in important records and other documents. 



The reliction of the Cino^alese is Buddhism, which in Cevlon 

 still flourishes in these times in all its pristine vigour. Buddha 

 is not the name of the founder of this belief, who is called 

 Gautama, or Sakja-Muni, but is only one of the numerous 

 titles of honour invented by that personage, who in the 

 Sanscrit figures so conspicuously as a sage. Gautama was 

 born in the province of Maghada (now known as Reha), 

 in Northern Hindostan, b.c. 624. His parents were Suddho- 

 dana, King of Magadha, and his consort Maja. Contem- 

 plating the degeneracy and misery of man, sunk in deepest 

 woe, Gautama attacked the doctrine of Brahma, rejected the 

 Vedas, or holy books, and founded the new faith, which 

 consists of the following fundamental propositions : — The 

 Creator and Ruler of the world is a supreme, invisible, 

 purely spiritual (and for that reason obviously impossible to be 

 figured) Being, almighty, wise, just, beneficent, and merciful. 

 Man most fitly recognizes and honours the Deity by silent con- 

 templation : by the practice of chastity, temperance, and 



