﻿442 ON' THE RELIGIOX AXD MANNERS 



Some time after, Vige Ragia made other presents 

 to his father-in-la\v, wlio, in return, sent him some 

 Peskare Bralunuies. "^'ige received them well, 

 granted them lands and honours, and they em])loyed 

 themseh-es in making magnificent gold ste.fis for the 

 king and queen. He died after thirty-eight years 

 reign. The descendants of these Pt'skare Hrahmines 

 neglected the art, gave themselves up to agriculture, 

 and lost the name of Peskare with th.cir talent. 

 AVhile the king, Devenipktissi:, reigned in Ceijlon, 

 the king of iJambedive, Dhak^iiasouke, sent him 

 the lioly tree, called Sne?7iaJiabocI/ue?iva/unise, and 

 100 Peskare Brahtnines, on Ashom he heaped riches 

 and honours. Devenipetissk received thein Mith 

 attention, and granted them greater honours than they 

 had received from Dh a R:\iA50UKi. liht Peskares 

 manufactured stuffs for the king, but, like tlieir 

 predecessors, soon lost their art, and took to agri- 

 culture. Another king of Ccijlnn, called Vige Sa- 

 vakkremeeahow, (also called Vatime, ) sent pre- 

 sents to the king Holie, and obtained several from 

 him, and several Peskare Brahm'nies, to whom he 

 gave rubies, pearls, elephants, lands, slaves, &:c. 

 The descendants of these are called Saleas Game. 

 It is said in the book Saliegesoutre, that they lived 

 in the village Sa/eaoanie. which means the viilaoc of 

 houses or buildings. This \illage was afterwards 

 'called Chelou-. This place gave tiie name afterwards 

 to the cast : some Europeans shortly after arrived in 

 Ceylon, who employed the Peskare Bralimines or 

 Saleagame to gather cinnamon. And as this was 

 the most valable article in tlie island to the Euro- 

 peans, they called the department which furnished 

 It Maliabade. Bade signilics tax; therefore Maha- 

 bade nieans gieat tax. 



It is certain that the Saleas, at present called 

 Chal/ias, descend from a very liigh cast, and that 

 they have always been held in great estimation; 

 having, except in late times, been constantly ex- 

 empted 



