﻿440 ox THE RELIGION AND MANXERS 



m'm6, and manufactures gold sfiiffs ; this is tlie 

 meaning- of Pe-^karL 



iOth. TiiEY all assembled and re'^ected deeply on 

 their ancient glory, which was so gi'eat as to have 

 given light to the world : and they repented of the 

 sin which. had plunged them into obscurity. 



1 Uh. They in consequence pr;iyed together, and 

 obtained a new light under the n.tnie of Suuria (sun) 

 which is hi'ty i/odu/is in circumference. Tins word, 

 literally, is firmness and wisriom. At the lime Vai- 

 rasvata (son of the sun) appeared in all his beauty 

 and happiness. * Thirty hours after, the sun set, 

 and the light was turned into darkness. They again 

 prayed, and obtained another luminary, called CVi^'m- 

 dria (mooli;, and which signifies reunion, and has 

 forty-nine yodiins of circumtierence. 



l:th. Then ihey were obliged to labour for their 

 bread, and they began to steal from one another. 

 In this predicament they elected a cliief, and agreed 

 that whatever punishment he should decree, they 

 would enforce. • Tliis chief was that splendid, beau- 

 tiful, and perfectly happy being, the son of the sun. 

 They called him Ma ha Samette, meaning the 

 grand or unanimous election ; and th^y appointed 

 him king 4,Sl;0,000 years after the descent of the 

 Brahmts from the aerial regions. 



13th. From him have descended all the Maha 

 Samette, the cast of kings, which has been divided 

 into live casts equally eminent. The first, called 

 Sourie Vanse ;' the second, Litche Vira<Ae Vanse : 

 the thn-d, Katchieragie Vanse ; tlie fourth, Sakera- 

 gia Vanse ;, the fifth, Okkakeragie Vanse. These 

 live casts have always filled tlie station of sove- 

 reigns. 



i4th. The IJermapJirGdites, of whom Me have 



spoken 



The Sinhalese divide the vychtljcmeron into sixty hours, thirty 

 for the. day, and thirty for the night. 



