Tooth of Buddha. 405 



pelled to forego a visit to Kandy, and its beautiful environs, 

 in which is situated the renowned temple that enshrines the 

 tooth of Buddha, the occupation of which by the English 

 was, in the eyes of the Cingalese, the most manifest indica- 

 tion of their being the legitimate conquerors of the king- 

 dom.* Neither were we able to take part in an elephant 

 hunt, although these animals are found in the island in such 

 quantities, that it is related, with every appearance of ac- 

 curacy, of a single elephant hunter, the late Major Rodgers, 

 who was struck dead by a flash of lightning a few years 

 since in the midst of the forest, that he had, in the course of 

 his life of active exercise, laid low fifteen hundred elephants 

 with his own hand ! But permission was granted by the 

 commander of the Expedition to the geologist and one of the 

 zoologists to remain in Ceylon, and rejoin the frigate at 

 Madras by the steamer which runs fortnightly, so as to 

 enable them to ascend the world-famous Adam's Peak, 7000 



* The legend relating to these relics, about which so many wars were waged, 

 goes back as far as the thii'd centuiy of the Christian era, when IVIahasana, a true 

 believer, having become I'^ng of ,Ceylon, purchased these teeth for numerous 

 valuable presents, of one of liis kindred, a CaUnga king in Bengal, who sent them 

 over by liis piinces. The tooth Daliata Wahansa unmediately achieved a miracle — 

 it illumined the entire island, and supplanted all heretical teaching. It was 

 forthwith enveloped in a hundred cloths, and a temple erected to enslu'ine it, since 

 which it has been regarded as the PaUadiiun of Ceylon. When, ia 1560, tliis tooth 

 was transferred to the temple at Manaar by the Poi-tuguese under Constantin de 

 Braganza, the long ofiered the Portuguese bigots 000,000 pieces of gold by way of 

 ransom. Braganza judged it more advisable to destroy the tooth. But he little 

 knew the adi'oitness and subtlety of the Buddliist priesthood. The very next 

 morning the tooth, that had been supposed to be destroyed was marvellously found 

 in a Lotos leaf in the temple, where it had been deposited by BudtUia himself! 



