CHAP. IV.] MANUFACTUKES. 453 



duce the knowledge and practice of handicrafts amongst 

 the native population. According to the story, these 

 were goldsmiths, blacksmiths, brass-founders, carpenters, 

 and stone-cutters. 1 



The legend is given with more particularity in an 

 historical notice of the Chalia caste, written by Adrian 

 Eajapaxa, one of their chiefs, who describes these 

 immigrants as Peskare Brahmans, who were at first 

 employed in weaving gold tissues for the queen, but 

 who afterwards abandoned that art for agriculture. 

 A fresh company were said to have been invited in the 

 reign of Devenipiatissa, and were the progenitors of 

 "Saleas, at present called Chalias," who inhabit the 

 country between Galle and Colombo, and who, along 

 with their ostensible occupation as peelers of cinna- 

 mon, still employ themselves in the labours of the 

 loom. 2 All handicrafts are conventionally regarded by 

 the Singhalese as the occupations of an inferior class ; 

 and a man of high caste would submit to any privation 

 rather than stoop to an occupation dependent on manual 

 skill. 



Pottery. One of the most ancient arts, the making 

 of earthenware vessels, exists at the present day in all 

 its pristine simplicity, and the "potter's wheel," which 

 is kept in motion by an attendant, whilst the hands of 

 the master are engaged in shaping the clay as it revolves, 

 is the primitive device which served a similar purpose 

 amongst the Egyptians and Hebrews. 3 



A " potter" is enumerated in the list of servants and 

 tradesmen attached to the temple on the Eock of Mihin- 

 tala, A.D. 262, along with a sandal-maker, blacksmiths, 

 carpenters, stone-cutters, goldsmiths, and "makers of 



1 VALENTYN, Oud en Nieio Oost- 

 Indien, chap. iv. p. 267. 



2 A History of the Chalias, by 

 ADRIAN RAJAPAXA. Asiatic Res. 

 vol. vii. p. 440. Ib.j vol. x. p. 82. 



3 Pottery is mentioned in the 



Mahawanso, B.C. 161, ch. xxix. p. 

 173 : the allusion is to " new earthen 

 vases," and shows that the people at 



that time, like the Hindus of to- 

 day, avoided where possible the re- 

 peated use of the same vessel. 



G G 3 



