550 THE IS^ORTHERN FOEESTS. [Part IX. 



to be Bamancoil or Eamiseram, Delft would appear to 

 be " the island of the Sun." Its length does not exceed 

 seven or eight miles, and a tiny lake, formed in a 

 depression in its centre, so facihtates vegetation and the 

 growth of trees, that the Portuguese, wliilst in possession 

 of Manaar, occupied it as a breeding place for cattle and 

 horses, and hence it acquired from them its designa- 

 tions of the " Ilha das Vacas," and " Illia dos Cavallos." * 

 The breed of the latter, which had been originally- 

 imported from Arabia, was kept up b}^ the Dutch, and 

 afterwards for some time by the Enghsh, the horses 

 behio- allowed the free ranse of the island, and when 

 reqiui'ed were caught by the lasso, in the use of which 

 the natives had probably been instructed by the Por- 

 tuguese.^ The stud was discontinued many years ago, 

 the buildings constructed for it have since gone to ruin, 

 and the island is now thickly inhabited and partially 

 brouo-ht under cidtivation. 



As we approached the Indian side of the channel at 

 sum'ise on the following morning, we landed on the 

 island of Eamiseram, to visit the Great Pagoda, the lofty 

 towers of which were visible long before we were able to 

 discern the low sandy beach on which it is built. This 

 shrine, which, in the estimation of the Brahmans, has 

 rendered Eamiseram one of the most sacred spots in the 

 luiiverse, is dedicated to Eama, whose uivasion of Ceylon 

 from this point is commemorated by so many incidents 



1 RiBEYRO says, it was also called j Tliis tliey contrive to thro-w about 

 by the Portuguese the '^ Ilha das j one of his hind legs whilst he is in 

 Cabras," because of the multitude of fidl gallop, and thus make sm'e of 

 goats which it fed, and he adds that him. One cannot see this manoeu\Te 

 it supplied the finest bezoar stones in practised without the gi-eatest as- 

 the world. (Lib. i. ch. xxv. p. 188.) tonishment, for these horse-catchers 



2 " Tlie horses run wild on the ^ are so trained that they never fail, 

 island and are caught by driving them They teach their children this art (Ijv 

 into a korahJ, which is circidar and practising) oiyi man, and I liave tried 

 fenced with round stones — here, one j them on myself. I had only to say 

 in particular being pitched on, some on which arm or foot I chose to have 

 of the natives set after him witli ropes the rope thrown while I was numing 

 nuide into a noose, eight fatliom long, as fa.st as I was able, and it was 

 and the thickness of a nian"s finger, done." — Memoirs of Wolf, p. ll>7. 



