0-20 KANDY AND PERADEXIA. [r.vRT YIT. 



the raft which bore the tooth he prostrated himself before it 

 with all the gestures of profound adoration, and on his knees 

 approaching the altar on which rested the shrine, he received 

 the tooth from those who had charge of it, and raising it aloft, 

 placed it on his head many times with adjurations of solemnity 

 and awe ; then restoring it to its place, he accompanied it on its 

 way to the city. As it passed along, the river was perfumed 

 with the odours which ascended from the barges, and as it 

 reached the shore the talapoens and nobles of the king and 

 all the chief men advancing into the water took the shrine upon 

 their shoulders and bore it to the palace, accompanied by an 

 impenetrable multitude of spectators. The grandees taking ofif- 

 their costly robes, spread them on the way in order that those 

 who carried that abominable relic might walk upon them. 



" The Portuguese who happened to be present were asto- 

 nished on witnessing this barbarous pomp ; and Antonio Toscano, 

 who I have stated elsewhere w^as of the party, has related to me 

 such extraordinary particulars of the majesty and grandeur with 

 wdiich the tooth was received, that I confess I cannot command 

 suitable language to describe them. In fact, everything that all 

 the emperors and kings of the universe combined could con- 

 tribute to such a solemnity, each eager to display his power to 

 the utmost, all this was realised by the acts of this barbarian 

 king. 



" The tooth was at last deposited in the centre of the court- 

 yard of the palace, under a costly tabernacle, upon which the 

 monarch and all his grandees presented their offerings, declaring 

 their lineage, all which was recorded by scribes nominated for 

 that duty. Here it remained two months, till the wihare 

 (yarela), wiiich they set about erecting could be constructed, 

 and on which such expenditure w\as lavished as to cause an 

 insurrection in the kingdom. 



" To end the stor}', I shall here tell of what occurred in the 

 following year, between the king of Kaudy and Brama, king 

 of Pegu, respecting these proceedings of Don Juan, king of 

 Ceylon. These matters which Don Juan had transacted so 

 secretly touching the marriage of his pretended daughter with 

 the king of Pegu, as well as the affair of the tooth, soon 

 reached the ear of the king of Kandy, who learning the 

 immense amount of treasure which Brama had given for it, was 

 influenced with envy, (for he was a connection of Don Juan, 

 having married his sister, or as some said his daughter,) and 



