﻿420 ON THE RELIGION AND MANNERS. 



liance )3lacecl on its exactness ; notwithstanding 

 which, I have found out an error of one year in fol- 

 lowing his chronological calculation. I have only 

 seen the latter part of the work. The author's name 

 is TiBOuwAVE Naike Ounanse. He gives an ac- 

 count of <206 kings (exclusive of the king then on 

 the throne) whose aggregate reigns amount to 2400 

 years. But it would be necessary to see the whole 

 of Tebouave's work, before we can come to a posi- 

 tive conclusion on the chronology of the Island. — 

 I hope soon to get possession of it. I am pretty 

 confident it will clear up several historical as well as 

 chronological statements : though the history of the 

 kings anterior to Ragia Six he, who lived 170 

 years ago, hardly contains more than their names. 

 There are nevertheless a few interesting facts, of an 

 ancient date, mentioned by Tebouave, such as that 

 DivENiPATiss was the lirst king v/ho introduced 

 writing in the Island. He lived in the year 222 of 

 BouDiiou Varousse, and 321 before Jesus Christ. 



KINGS. 



SUCCESSION TO THE THRONE. 



A Singalese cannot be king of Cci/lon, that is, 

 every person born of a Singalese father or mother, is 

 excluded from the throne ; the reason given for this 

 is, that no Singalese can prostrate himself before one 

 of his own nation. — The son of a Singalese woman is 

 considered as of the same country as his mother, 

 thouiJ:h his f\uher should belons: to a different nation. 

 They lie on their bellies only before kings, but as no 

 Singalese has ever been a king, they could not prostrate 

 themselves in that manner before a king of their na- 

 tion, as he would be the first of the new race. One 

 Patthiebandare descendant of kings on the fa- 

 ther's side, but of a Singalese mother, usurped the 

 crown ; he was shortly after massacred. 



- . The 



