﻿OF THE PEOPLE OF CEYLON. 417 



J)lanation. It is, hoM'ever, at present sufficient to 

 establish, that on the 1st of May 1801, there will 

 have been i2344 years since Boudhou became .Yi- 

 vajii ; but not as some ignorant Singalese state, 

 since lie was born for the last time. Boudhou knew 

 (from his great knowledge) that the descendant of a 

 Lion would attempt the conquest of Ceylon — As 

 there were then seven hundred devils remaining, who 

 had escaped destruction when Bouphou made great 

 havoc among them in one of his journeys through 

 the Island, he thought proper to avail himself of the 

 destiny of this hero in order to destroy these 700 de- 

 vils. — He accordino-ly ordered Vishnou to afford 

 him every assistance towards the success of his pro- 

 ject. — BouDHou became X'rcam, and seven days 

 after, Vige Kumareia, the hero, departed and ar- 

 rived at Ctylon with 700 giants, which Vishnolt 

 had procured for him, and a sanctified girdle, and a 

 species of holy water M'hich Sakreia had made him 

 a present of. The following is the genealogy of 

 Vice Kumareia. Vagooragia, the husband of 

 his grandmother, M'as a descendant from the Sun, king 

 of J^agouraftc, and father of a girl who had a con- 

 nection with a furious Lion, the scourge of the coun- 

 try. This connection produced Sinhebahoo, Ku- 

 mareia. (SiNHE means Lion). Vagoo was never 

 sufficiently po\verful to destroy this Lion. He or- 

 dered.SiNHEBAHoo, (the only one in his kingdom 

 sufficiently strong to fight with this Lion) to attack 

 him. SiNHEBAiioo, after repeated menaces from 

 Vagooragia, at length determined to enter the lists 

 M'ith the Lion, his father, attacked and killed 

 him. In consequence of this, he acc^iired a title to 

 the crown of Vagoo, and on the death of Vagoo, ob- 

 tained it, and added to itthatof Latesixhe. Vige 

 Kumareia, who, we have already said, debarked 

 on Ceylon, was his son. He landed at Tamme in 

 the IP'anney, and lay down to rest with his 700 



E E giants 



