2-24 



G.OIPOM AXD THE COFFEE REGIONS. [Part VII. 



tliat such a crime was notoriously venial amongst his 

 countrymen. 



Amidst so many vices, one redeeming virtue which 

 elevates the people of Ceylon, especially the highlanders 

 of Kandy, above the corresponding classes in India, is 

 the strons; affection which binds too-ether those of the 

 same family, and the reverence and tender regard Avith 

 wdiich old age is honoured and watched over by youth. 

 Diu:ing the rebelhon of 1817, instances occurred of sons 

 and brothers who voluntarily dehvered themselves up 

 to the British in broken-hearted despair on learning 

 the fate of their kindred ; and one of the ceremonies 

 which leads pilgrims to the siunmit of Adam's Peak, is 

 the desire to renew the vows of attachment between 

 relatives and friends, and to solemnise, by a reverential 

 salutation at the sacred shrine, the love of the young for 

 their parents.^ 



Gampola, the ancient Ganga-srl-jwora, " the stately 

 city by the river," was the last of the native capitals 

 of Ceylon before the exphing dynasty removed to 

 Cotta about the year 1410. It was built in the 

 middle of the fourteenth century, and it was liere that 

 Ibn Batuta shortly afterwards \dsited the king by 

 whom it Avas founded^; whose palace he says was situ- 

 ated near a bend of the river called " the estuary of 

 rubies." It was at this spot that his successor, in 

 1405, was defeated by the Chinese general Ching Ho, 

 and carried captive to Nankin.^ No ruins or an- 



1 Dr. Datt, after descnbing the 

 religious ceremonial at the Sacred 

 Footstep, says, " an interesting scene 

 followed, wives affection ately saluted 

 their husbands, children their parents, 

 and friends one another. A {ztcv- 

 headed -woman first made her salaam 

 to a venerable old man ; — she was 

 moved to tears, and almost kissed his 

 feet. He raised her aftectionately, 

 and several middh'-aired men then 

 saluted the patriarchal pair. These 

 were salaamed in return by the 

 vovmger men, who had first paid their 

 respects to the old people, and lastly 



those of neai'ly the same standing 

 saluted each other and exchanged 

 betel leaves. The intention of these 

 salutations was of a moral ]dnd ; to 

 confirm the ties of friendship, to 

 streng-then family kindness, and re- 

 move animosities." — Davy, pt. ii. 

 ch. ii. p. 345. 



^ BiirwAXEKA Bahu IV., about 

 A.T). 1347, Rajaratnacari, p. iii. ; Ibx 

 Batuta, Lee's Transl. 4to., ch. xx. 

 p. 186. 



3 For an account of this event sec 

 Vol. I. Pt. V. ch. iii. p. 598. 



