430 THE XORTHERX FOEESTS. [Part IX. 



Altliougii polyandry is inferentially reprobated in the 

 Rajavali and Mahaicanso ^, tlie Buddhist priesthood 

 have never interposed to discourage it hi Ceylon. No 

 infamy attaches to such unions, and the offspring are 

 regarded as equally legitimate with those born in wed- 

 lock : British courts of justice being bound to protect 

 the rights of descent and hilieritance as regulated by 

 the local customs of the Kandyans, have been hitherto 

 constrained to recognise its existence, but within a 

 very recent period a law has been introduced, under the 

 influence of wdiich, if it can be enforced with the co- 

 operation of the more highly educated natives of Kandy, 

 it is to be hoped that this opprobrium will ere long 

 cease to disgrace a possession of the British Cro^^^l. 



Ha^dng expressed a wish to visit the ruined tank of 

 Horra-bora, the most interesting object in the district 

 of Bintenne, tlie old cliief mounted his horse, and rode 

 forward to show us the path through the forest. The 

 road led for the entire distance across a succession of 

 paddi fields, which Avere then under water from the 

 previous rains ; but the sight of the ruin w^ ell repaid 

 the inconvenience of the ride. It is a stupendous 

 "svork, — a stream flo^^dng between two hills about 

 three or four miles apart, has been intercepted by an 

 artificial dam drawn across tlje valley at the point 

 where they approach ; and the water thus confined is 

 thrown back till it forms a lake eight or ten miles 

 long by three or fom* wdde, exclusive of narrow 

 branches running behind spm'S of the hills. The 

 embankment is from fifty to seventy feet liigh, and 

 about two hundi'ed feet broad at the base. But one 

 of the most ingenious features in the work is the 

 advantage wdiich has been taken in its construction 



to mai-tial service. — Coxquista da I one of the Canaries. — Narmt. cli. i. 



India, c^c, ch. xiv. p. 36. ^ Rajavali, p. 168 ; Mahaivanso, 



IIuMKOLDT foiiml tlie custom of po- | cli. xxxvi. p. 227, ch. xxxvii. p. 



Ijandry iu the island of Lancerota; , 250. 



