APPENDIX, zi 
It is of use to his Majesty’s Ministers, at the time they are adopting measures for re- 
storing the Island of Ceylon to its former state of agricultural and commercial prospe- 
rity, to be made thoroughly acquainted with the ancient and present state of every part 
of that valuable island. The Committee therefore, with a view to the fourth question, 
have directed their researches to the ancient history of the island, to the ancient site of 
its principal cities, to its ancient code of morals, to its ancient form of government, to its 
ancient trade, to its ancient system of agriculture and irrigation, and to its animal and 
vegetable productions. ‘They are collecting all the geographical and local information 
necessary to explain and illustrate the English translation of the three ancient histories 
of Ceylon, the Mahdvansi, the Rdjavali, and the Rajaratndcari,* all the manu- 
scripts which contain any account of the ancient cities and temples of Jaffna, 
Mantotte, Anardjapura, Monisseram, Trincomalee, Trecoil, and Dewandera, of the 
early sanctity of Adam’s Peak and Cadregam, and of the frequent pilgrimages performed 
in ancient times by innumerable devotees and invalids from the most distant parts of 
India to the ancient Hindi temple at Trincomalee, and to the different hot wells in 
that neighbourhood, which were believed by the Hindis in those days to be one of the 
favourite resorts of the sage called ANcust1ER, adored throughout the Peninsula of India 
for his medical knowledge and his universal wisdom. They are about to have an 
English translation made of the great Buddhist work in our library called Pansiya- 
panas-jatakaya, which contains a description of 550 of the transmigrations of Bupp’Ha, 
and the whole system of morals observed by the Budd’hists in Ceylon.t They are com- 
paring the account drawn up by the late Sir John D’Oyty, with all the other accounts 
drawn up at different times by different persons in Portuguese, Dutch, and English, of 
the form of government which prevailed in the Candyan country for upwards of two 
thousand years, and which affords a very correct picture of the form of government 
parties interested in them, who were all natives of India, being ignorant of the steps necessary to be taken to 
bring them forward before the Privy Council. Sir ALEXANDER, immediately on this discovery, adopted mea- 
sures by which the attention of his Majesty's Government, and that of both houses of Parliament, were called 
to the subject; and at the same time stated to Government, that the best way of remedying the evil for the 
present, and preventing its recurrence for the future, would be to attach a civil servant of the East-India Company’s 
service, well acquainted with the proceedings of the Sadder Adélats, as a Registrar of East-Indian appeals to the 
Privy Council, and in order that the Privy Council might become thoroughly acquainted with the nature and 
importance of those appeals, advised them to employ Mr. Ricuarp Crarke, a member of this Society, to whom Sir 
ALEXANDER had previously communicated his ideas upon the subject, in arranging all the papers connected with the 
appeals, and in having them printed with such ample appendixes as might exhibit in a clear manner to the public, 
the different parts of the Hindi and Muhammedan Jaw, according to which the decisions of the Privy Council are 
regulated. The suggestions of Sir ALEXANDER having been adopted, and Mr. Clarke having been employed, all 
papers relative to the different cases of appeal have now been arranged by that gentleman, and are about to be 
printed with an appendix attached to each of them, similar to the one presented by Sir ALEXANDER to the Society 
some days ago. 
* Sir ALEXANDER JOHNSTON had these translations made while he was in Ceylon. 
+ This copy was procured by Sir ALEXANDER JouNsTON from the celebrated temple of Mulgerigalle in Ceylon, 
and presented by him to the library of the Society: he had great difficulty in procuring so correct and so complete a 
copy; he succeeded after yarious inquiries in obtaining it by the assistance of some very intelligent Priests, whom 
he employed in collecting for him copies of all the most searce and the most valuable of the works of the Budd’. 
hists, from the numerous collections in the different Baudd'ha temples in ‘Ceylon. 
