138 
SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
6. 
He takes with the right hand the balls of clay one by one and sets 
them on the wheel, 
With the left hand he turns the wheel,* with the right hand he 
moulds (the vessel), 
Knowing the size and shape (required), as required he presses 
down the hand ; 
Then when the right shape appears, he stays the form, and moulds 
the rim.t 
7. 
Having stayed the form and turned the rim, he turns the wheel 
very fast, 
And looking now and then to see if it is smooth, he amends with 
the finger tip any unevenness, 
Sprinkling a little water he polishes (the pot), then takes it care- 
fully with open hand, 
Duly keeps it standing by, and takes it up again after thirty 
hours from the time of making thus. 
8. 
(Then) taking the galiheda ¢ in the left hand and the meti aluwa§ 
in the right, holding the vessel tightly with the feet, 
He beats it with the blade,|| making it bigger as much as need 
be, 
And after thus beating it to the required degree and having polished 
it, he sets it in the sunshine, 
After it is partly dried, he draws leafy creepers (liyawel), garlands 
and flower-petals round the vessel ; 
9. 
Having drawn round it lines, flower-petals, cocks, parrots, pigeons, 
selalihini, 
Separately (he draws) bé leaves, flower bunches, date bunches 
na flowers, dlu and lotus flowers, 
And makes the orbs of sun and moon, makara toran and golden 
hansa, 
Elephants, horses, cattle, deer, lions, tigers, wolves, bears, cobras, 
(polongas). 
* Usually the wheel is turned by a young assistant. 
+ Hedagahasteyz ; 7.e., he moulds the rim with a wet rag, turning it over. 
{ Stone held inside the vessel while the sides are hammered over till they 
meet ; see previous paper, fig. 1. 
§ Meéti aluwa, evidently another name for the bat, walantalana lélla of pre- 
vious paper, fig. 1. ; 
|| Alla, lit. palm of the hand, doubtless means the blade of the bat or walan- 
talana lella ; the description previously given should be carefully read to make 
'- the meaning of this verse clear. : 

