248 Sir Joun D’Orxy’s Sketch of the 
There are still two other modes which are said to have prevailed in 
ancient times, but have fallen into disuse now. 
6th. By Reepolle, or red hot iron. 
The litigant parties successively take in their handsa red hot piece of iron 
laid upon a leaf, and proceeding seven paces, cast it away; if the hand of 
either be burnt he loses the suit. 
7th. By the naga, or cobra de capella. 
A cobra de capella is put into a vessel with a narrow neck, and some 
silver fanams are cast in by an indifferent person. 
Each party in succession takes out the fanams with his hands; if either be 
bitten, it is a judgment against him. 
Of Lands and Landed Tenures. 
It is well known that the service tenure prevails throughout the Kandyan 
provinces. 
The possession of land is the foundation of the King’s right to the services 
and the contributions of the people, and vice versa. In general persons not 
possessing lands are liable to no regular service or duties, but in some in- 
stances to light and occasional service. Lands which properly subject the pos- 
sessor to regular public services and contributions are low paddy lands, 
which can be cultivated every year, but not (with some few exceptions) 
gardens or high grounds ; and Lekam Miti or registers of persons liable to 
regular service are kept in the hands of the chiefs of the provinces of many 
departments, to which they respectively belong. He who openly abandons 
his land (which sometimes occurred, particularly in the latter years of the 
late King’s reign, on account of the severity of the duty) is no longer called 
upon to perform service or to pay duties. Service land thus abandoned is 
strictly the property of the Crown, and in some instances the King has exer- 
cised this right by taking the crops and by regranting the land. But accord- 
ing to more general custom, the crop is appropriated or disposed of by the 
chief of the province, village, or department in which the land is situated ; or 
it isregranted by him to another, subject to the same service, frequently on 
payment of a suitable fee. Land abandoned, if reclaimed by the original 
proprietor or even by his heir, is usually restored on payment of a suitable 
fee, unless it has been definitively granted to another, or possessed many years 
by another family performing service. No person retaining his land can 
