CHAP. IV.] MANUFACTURES. 451 



kind, and similar to that which is worn at the pre- 

 sent day. The bulk of the population wore scanty 

 cloths, without shape or seam, folded closely round the 

 body and the portion of the limbs which it is cus- 

 tomary to cover ; and the Chinese, who visited the 

 island in the seventh century, described the people as 

 clothed in the loose robe, still known as a " corn- 

 boy," a word probably derived from the Chinese koo- 

 pei, which signifies cotton. 1 



The wealthier classes indulged in flowing robes, and 

 Bujas Dasa the king, who in the fourth century devoted 

 himself to the study of medicine and the cure of the 

 sick, was accustomed, when seeking objects for his com- 

 passion, to appear as a common person, simply " dis- 

 guising himself by gathering his cloth up between his 

 legs." 2 Eobes with flowers 3 , and a turban of silk, con- 

 stituted the dress of state bestowed on men whom the 

 king delighted to honour. 4 Cloth of gold is spoken of 

 in the fifth century, but the allusion is probably made 

 to the kinbaub of India. 5 



MANUAL AND MECHANICAL ARTS. Weaving. The 

 aborigines practised the art of weaving before the arrival 

 ofWijayo. Kuweni, when the adventurer approached 

 her, was " seated at the foot of a tree, spinning thread ; " 6 

 cotton was the ordinary material, but " linen cloth " is 

 mentioned in the second century before Christ. 7 White 

 cloths are spoken of as having been employed, in the 

 earliest times, on every occasion of ceremony for covering 

 chairs on which persons of rank were expected to be 

 seated ; whole " webs of cloth " were used to wrap the 

 carandua in which the sacred relics were enclosed 8 , and 



1 See Part v. ch. iii. on the Know- 

 ledge of Ceylon possessed by the 

 Chinese. 



s Mahawanso, ch. xxxvii. p. 245. 



By the ordinances of Buddhism 

 it was forbidden to the priesthood 



to adorn the body with flowers," 

 thus showing it to liave been a prac- 

 tice of the laity. HARDY'S Eastern 



G G 2 



Monachism, ch. iv. p. 24 j ch. xiii. 



p. 128. 



Mahaivanso, ch. xxiii. p. 139. 



5 Ibid., ch. xxxviii. p. 258 



6 Mahawanso, ch. vii. p. 48 ; Raja- 

 vali, p. 173. 



"' Mahawanso, ch. xxv. p. 152. 

 8 Rajaratnacari, p. 72. 



