CHAP. III.] CEYLON AS KNOWN TO THE CHINESE. 



617 



relics, and the fervid devotion of the people to the 

 national worship. l 



The cities of Ceylon in the sixth century are stated, 

 in the " History of the Leang Dynasty" to have been 

 encompassed by walls built of brick, with double gates, 

 and the houses within were constructed with upper 

 stories. 2 The palace of the king, at Anarajapoora, in 

 the eleventh century, was sufficiently splendid to excite 

 the admiration of these visitants, " the precious articles 

 with which it was decorated being reflected in the 

 thoroughfares." 3 



The Chinese authors, like the Greeks and Arabians, 

 are warm in their praises of the patriotism of the Sin- 

 ghalese sovereigns, and their active exertions for the 

 improvement of the country, and the prosperity of the 

 people. 4 On state occasions, the king, " carried on an 

 elephant, and accompanied by banners, streamers, and 

 tom-toms, rode under a canopy 5 , attended by a military 

 guard." 6 



Throughout all the Chinese accounts, from the very 

 earliest period, there are notices of the manners of 

 the Singhalese, and even minute particulars of their 

 domestic habits, that attest a continued intercourse and 

 an intimate familiarity between the people of the two 

 countries. 7 In this important feature the narratives of 



1 Taou-e ch6-Uo. "Account of 

 Island Foreigners," quoted in the 

 " Foreign Geography," 1 b. xviii. p. 15. 

 Se-yih-'ke foo-choo. Ib. " At day- 

 break every morning the people are 

 summoned,' and exhorted to repeat 

 the passages of Buddha, in order to 

 remove ignorance and open the minds 

 of the multitude. Discourses are de- 

 livered upon the principles of vacancy 

 (nirwana?) and abstraction from all 

 material objects, in order that truth 

 may be studied in solitude and silence, 

 and the unfathomable point of prin- 

 ciple attained free from the distract- 

 ing influences of pound or smell." 

 Ttih-foo yuen-kwei, A. D. 1012, b. 

 dcccclxi. p. 5. 



VOL. I. * 



2 Leang-shoo, A. D. 630, b. liv. p, 



3 Tslh-foo yuen-kicei, b. dcccclxi. 

 p. 5. 



* Ibid. 



5 The " chatta," or umbrella, em- 

 blematic of royalty. 



6 Leang-shoo, b. liv. p. 10. 



7 This is apparent from the fact 

 that their statements are not confined 

 to descriptions of the customs and 

 character of the male Singhalese, 

 but exhibit internal evidence that 

 thev had been introduced to their 

 families, and had had opportunities 

 of noting peculiarities in the cus- 

 toms of the females. They describe 

 their dress, their mode of tying 



S 



