﻿OF THE PKOPLE OF CEYLON. 43^ 



4th. After which Chance ])n){]ucecl a species of 

 mushroom, called Mattika or Jtssafhow, on mIucIi 

 they lived for 1.^,000 years. But being determined 

 to make an equal division of tliis also, they lost it. 

 Luckily for them, another creeping plnnt, called 

 Badrilata grew up, on which they fed for 35,000 

 years, hut which they lost for tlie same reason as the 

 former ones. 



5th. Fortune still remained true to th.em ; for 

 there grew up a large tree called Kalpeworkse, of 

 which there is an immense number in Oiitouroxvkou- 

 7'owdwipe. This tree gave them food for -1,^00,000 

 years. But the old idea having crept in among 

 them, it perished. 



6th. They afterwards lived on an odoriferous 

 grain called Suiawgiate-el for .^.5,000 years, which 

 the}' lost for the same reason as their former. 



7th. They then found another grain called 

 Soivendc, which served them as food for sixty thou- 

 sand years, at the end of which they were deprived 

 of it. 



8th. These different kinds of food changed their 

 nature ; and fiom spirits they became matter in a 

 human shape, having bones, tlesh, and blood. And 

 having imbibed wicked ideas, they became hcrma- 

 phroditeiiy and con^niunicated carnally v\ith each 

 other. The consequence was, that they lost ail their 

 ancient glory. 



9th. Some of these Brahmbifi disliking the methocl 

 of living of the others, retired into the woods. 

 There they divided thenjselves into three sets; one 

 set gave itself the name of Vcde BraJnnine, 'dxid took 

 to the study of the four sciences, called Tefiadourvcda. 

 This set is employed in teaching men virtue, and in- 

 structing them in a knowledge of the hea\'enly doc- 

 trine. Another set took the appellation oi'Same Brah- 

 miue, and it interests itself about the temporal con- 

 cerns of men. The last set is called Pcskarc Brah- 



F E 4 niiiUf 



