612 



MEDIAEVAL HISTORY. 



[PART V. 



closely resemble the description of the natives of the 

 island visited by Jainbulus, as related in the story told by 

 Diodorus. 1 



The Chinese in the seventh century found the Singha- 

 lese dressed in a costume which appears to be nearly 

 identical with that of the present day. 2 Both males 

 and females had their hair long and flowing, but the 

 heads of children were closely shaven, a practice which 

 still partially prevails. The jackets of the girls were 

 occasionally ornamented with gems. 3 " The men," says 

 the Tung-teen, " have the upper part of the body naked, 

 but cover their limbs with a cloth, called Kan-man, 

 made of Koo-pei, ' Cotton,' a word in which we may 

 recognise the term ' Comboy,' used to designate the 

 cotton cloth universally worn at the present day by the 

 Singhalese of both sexes in the maritime provinces. 4 

 For their vests, the kin^s and nobles made use of a sub- 



1 DIODORUS Sicrirs, lib. ii. ch. 

 liii. See attte, Vol. I. P. v. ch. i. p. 

 555. 



2 Leanff-shoo, b. liv. p. 10 ; Nan- 

 ste, b. Ixxviii. pp. 13, 14. 



3 Kan-she, A.D. 650, b. Ixxviii. p. 

 13 ; Leang-shoo, A.D. 670, b. liv. p. 

 11. Such is still the dress of the 

 Singhalese females. 



A MOODL!AR AND Hid WIFE. 



4 Tuy-teen, b. cb'xxviii. p. 17 ; I shoo, b. cxcviii. p. 2o. See p. iv. ch. 

 Xan-shs, b. Ixxviii. p. 13 ; Sin-tany- \ iv. Vol. I. p. 450. 



