554 



THE NORTHERN FORESTS. 



[Part IX. 



From its frequent disruption by the sea, and the 

 deposit of sand-drift on its smface, the formation to the 

 east, between Eamiseram and Manaar, presents less of 

 tlie artificial appearance Avhich is exhibited in the vici- 

 nity of Paunibam, and which uo doubt sufficed in 

 ancient times to establish the behef that it was in 

 reahty a causeway constructed by superhiunan power. 

 The Hindus ascribed its origin to Eania^, and amongst 

 the Mahometans, the behef that Adam had found a 

 retreat in Ceylon on his expulsion from Paradise, led 

 to the conjectures that he must either have ahghted 

 from the sky, or passed by this singular causeway. 



^ The legend of tlie building of 

 the bridge by llama for tlie passage 

 of his army to the conquest of Lanka, 

 fonus one of the episodes in the 

 Rumai/ana. In the Culcidta Reriew, 

 No. X. p. 299, a translation of this 

 passage has been given, and the mis- 

 chievous character of Hanuman, the 

 monkey-god, has been preserved in 

 the tale which is related, to the effect 

 that his jealousy of Nala, who was 

 associated with him in forming tlie 

 Bridge, led him to obstruct rather 

 than to further the work. The 

 legend is told as follows : Eama 

 having solicited Nala (one of the 

 monkey chiefs) to throw a bridge 

 across the Strait, the latter reh-ing 

 on the power imparted to him by 

 Brahma " of causing stones, trees, 

 and rocks to float," imdertoolc to 

 complete the task witliin a month, 

 although the distance from Lanka to 

 the mainland was tlieu eight hundred 

 miles. "He first caused one of the 

 liuge forests which gi-ew along the 

 shore to be transplanted and placed 

 upon the waters. LIpon this bedding 

 of trees he placed several strata of 

 rocks, and made the breadth of the 

 bridge eighty miles. Tlie first day 

 he completed the work to a length of 

 eight miles, beginning from the north 

 and proceeding s<iutlnv;ird. While 

 the bridge was being liuilt the deaf- 

 ening noises produced by the nuillets, 

 and the incessant cries of ' A'ictory 

 to Kama,' rent the air." 



Of all the monkeys none so exerted 

 himself in bringing rocks as Hauu- 

 man, until becoming enraged, and 

 regarding- it as an indignity that Nala 

 should receive them in his left hand, 

 Planuman lifted a moimtain under 

 which to crush him ; but was ap- 

 peased by the interposition of Rama, 

 who explained that the action of 

 Nala was the ordinaiy practice of 

 masons. '^ AVlieii the bridge ex- 

 tended to 160 miles in length, him- 

 dreds of squirrels came to the sea-shore 

 to assist in the work. On the sliore 

 they rolled their bodies among heaps 

 of dust, then, going up to the bridge, 

 they shook off the dust, and thus 

 eflectually filled the minute crevices. 

 TIanuman, not appreciating the ser- 

 vices of these little creatures, flung 

 numbers of them into the sea, AVitli 

 tearful eyes they came to Kama, and 

 said, ' O Lord, we are giievously 

 annoyed by Hauuman.' Summoning 

 Hanuman into his presence, Kama 

 thus addressed him, ' A\'hy dost thou 

 dishonour the squirrels ? Let every 

 one contribute to the Avork according 

 to his ability.' Planuman blushed, 

 and the benevolent and merciful 

 Rama stroked the squirrels on their 

 backs. Thus did Nala in the space 

 of a month construct a bridge ex- 

 tending eight hundred miles in length 

 and eighty in breadth, and when the 

 work was finished the monkeys cried 

 out, ' Alctoi'v to Rama, ^'ictorv to 

 Rama.' " 



