Chap. II.] AGEICULTUEE. 435 



that the priests might derive their service as slaves." ^ 

 Sharing in a prerogative of royaUy, some of tlie temples 

 had, moreover, a right to the compulsory labour of the 

 community ; and in one of the inscriptions carved on 

 the rock at Mihintala, the " Eaja-kariya writer" is enu- 

 merated in the hst of temple officers.^ The temple lands 

 were occasionally let to tenants whose rent was paid 

 either in " land-fees," or in kind.^ 



Farm-stock. — The only farm-stock which appears to 

 have been kept for tillage purposes, were buffaloes, which, 

 then as now, were used in treading the soft mud of the 

 irrigated rice-fields, preparatory to casting in the seed. 

 Cows are alluded to in the Mahawanso, but never in 

 connection with labour ; and although butter is spoken 

 of, it is only that of the buffalo.^ 



Gardens. — Probably the earliest enclosures attempted 

 in a state of incipient civilisation, were gardens for the 

 exclusion of wild animals from fruit trees and vegeta- 

 bles, when these were first cultivated for the use of 

 man; and to the present day, the frequent occurrence 

 of the termination " watte " in the names of places on 

 the map of Ceylon, is in itself an indication of the im- 

 portance attached to them by the villagers. The term 

 "garden," however, conveys to an European but an 

 imperfect idea of the character and style of these places ; 

 which in Ceylon are so similar to the native gardens 

 in the south of India, as to suggest a community of 

 origin. Their leading features are hues of the graceful 

 areca palms, groves of oranges, limes, jak-trees, and 

 bread fruit ; and irregular clumps of palmyras and coco- 

 nuts. Beneath these, there is a minor growth, sometimes 

 of cinnamon or coffee bushes ; and always a Avilderness 

 of plaintains, guavas and papaws ; a few of the commoner 

 flowers ; plots of brinjals (egg plants) and other esculents ; 



^ Blahawanso, cli. xlii. TunNOtrR, 

 MS. trauslation. 



^ Tuiikofk's Epitome, Appcndir, 

 p. 88. 



3 Ilml, pp. 86, 87. 



"^ 3I(thmvanso, eh. xxvii. p. 1G3, 



