NOTICE 



TO 



THE FIFTH EDITION. 



THE improvements in the present impression consist in the intro- 

 duction of new matter in numerous places, the careful revision 

 and correction of the old, the re-engraving of some of the illus- 

 trations, and the insertion of several hundreds of additional 

 references in the Index. 



Since the first volume of the present Edition was printed, my 

 attention has been called by Lieut-Colonel H. Aime Ouvry, who 

 is about to proceed to Ceylon as Assistant Quartermaster-General, 

 to a remarkable peculiarity in the Singhalese coins, one of 

 which is engraved at p. 461, Vol. I. This is accompanied by an 

 explanation by Mr. Vaux of the British Museum to the effect 

 that the obverse represents "a rude standing figure of the JRaja 

 holding the trisula in the left hand, and a flower in the right," 

 and on the reverse " the same figure seated, the name in Nagari 

 characters being placed beside the face." But Colonel Ouvry is 

 of opinion that by inverting the coin some of the lines, which 

 otherwise (perhaps intentionally) represent the rude outline 

 of a human figure, resolve themselves into Arabic characters; 

 which he considers give the date and place where the piece 

 was struck, whilst the Deva-Nagari letters supply the name 

 of the king. 



In Colonel Ouvry's opinion the legend on the reverse exhibits 

 the Arabic sentence Jiil X-j *~ sunna sikha Lunkeh, " struck 

 at Lanka in the year ; " while on the obverse, the word -b! 

 " Lunkeh" is repeated, followed by what appears to be an Arabic 

 numeral. 



VOL. I. * a 



