SOG OS THE llELIGTOX AXD 



Tavay, who had been at Cingala or Caiuhj, the pre- 

 sent capital of Ceylon, and at the ruins oi Anurada- 

 pura, the former capital, assured me, that the Pali 

 of that island was considerably different fyom that 

 of Ava. 



In many inscriptions, and in books of ceremony, 

 such as the Kinumiia, the Pali language is written 

 in a square character, somewhat resembling the 

 Bengal Sanscrit, and called 3Iagata. Of this a spe- 

 cimen may be seen in the description of the Borgian 

 museum by Paulixus*. Ikit in general it is writ- 

 ten in a round character nearly resembling the Bur- 

 ma letters. Of this kind is the specimen given by 

 the accurate ISI. de la Lou be he, and which some 

 persons have rashly conceived to be the Bunjia. 

 There is no doubt^ however, that all tlie different 

 characters of India, both on the west and on the east 

 of the Ga)igeg, have bepn derived from a common 

 .source : and the Burma writing of the whole appears 

 to be the most distinct and beautiful. 



In their more elegant books, the Burmas write on 

 sheets of ivor\', on very fme white palmira leaves. 

 The ivory is stained black, and the margins are or- 

 namented with gilding, while the characters are ena- 

 melled or gilded. On the palmira leaves the cha- 

 racters are in general of black enamel ; and the ends 

 of the leaves, and margins, are painted with flowers 

 in various bright colours. In tlieir more common 

 books, the Burmas with an iron style engrave their 

 writing on palmira leaves. A hole, through both 

 ends of each leaf, serves to connect the whole into a 

 volume by means of two strings, which also pass 

 through the two wooden boards, that serve for bind- 

 ing. In the tiner binding of these kind of books the 

 boards are lacquered, the edges of the leaves cut 

 smooth and gilded, and the title is written on the 

 *ippcr board, the two cords are by a knot or jcdci 

 .•secured at a little distance from the boards, 

 so as to prejent the book from falling to pieces, 



* I'age 1 5. 



but 



