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the Buddhist Scriptures. These documents are written in 

 Sinlialese characters by hand with a pointed iron stylus, upon 

 properly prepared slips of palm-leaves called " ola," and are com- 

 posed either in Sanskrit, in Pali, or in Elu, the pure Sinhalese 

 language. 



The ola leaves which are employed for the transcription of 

 the Sinhalese texts are made from the fan-shaped fronds of the 

 Talipot Palm (Corypha umbraadi/era), which grows principally 

 in the Kandyan Districts ; those adapted for Tamil usage by 

 school children and others are commonly made from the similarly 

 shaped leaves of the Palmyra Palm {Borassus flahelliformis), 

 which is especially abundant in the northern parts of the Island. 

 The Palmyra Olas are narrower, thicker, and less pliable than 

 the Talipot Olas. 



The manuscripts are often consulted by Buddhist priests and 

 other readers who frequent the Library, and may be inspected, if 

 desired, on application being made to the Librarian. 



CENTRAL HALL. 



The first case to meet the eye of the visitor entering the Museum 

 is that which is placed under the archway before the main stair- 

 case. It affords a characteristic display of images of Gautama 

 Buddha. These figures are executed in brass, bronze, wood, and 

 ivory, and they represent the Founder of Buddhism (who lived 

 about the fifth century B.C.) in three principal attitudes — sedent, 

 erect, and recumbent. The head is generally surmounted by a 

 five-rayed emblem called "sirispota," which symbolizes the sacred 

 flame. 



On the top of the case there is a large wooden dag'aba or relic 

 case. The ancient dagabas at Anuradhapura and elsewhere are 

 immense structures supposed to have been erected over various 

 relics of Buddha and his disciples. Representations of the dagaba 

 on a small scale, in wood, metal, and ivory, are commonly used as 

 emblems or as reliquaries, just as the small effigies of Buddha are 

 portable copies of the gigantic statues which are scattered about 

 the country. 



The lower portion of this case contains, on the front side, a 

 selection of llatara .lewellery, dating, at least with regard to the 

 designs, from the Dutch period (1655-1796 a.d.). The collection 

 comprises necklaces, brooches, hair ornaments, &c. Most of the 

 pieces are pariires of the so-called Matara diamonds (zircons), 

 white sapphires, and black tourmalines, in a silver or silver-gilt 

 setting, manufactured by native jewellers at Matara, Galle, and 

 Colombo. 



