880 Analysis of the Mackenzie Manuscripts. [April, 



Kaildsa. Some other similar matters being stated it is added that the 

 Chola and the Pandiya dynasties will become extinct, and Cheruman 

 Perumal's race alone remain, ruling in the Conga country, Suntarer 

 Murti carries Cheruman Perumal into the presence of Sadasiva, 

 and there he remains in a state of beatification. 



There are a few more palm leaves containing poetical stanzas on the 

 boundaries of the six Tamil countries of no consequence, similar ones 

 having been translated and printed. They are allowed to remain attach* 

 ed to the book. 



Remarks. It appears to me that this rather extensive piece of com- 

 position is, in its introductory portion a species of historical romance, 

 but, like many other such romances, containing some fragments of real 

 history. The first date that is met with, fixing the destruction of Sa'li- 

 vahana at Cal. Y. 1443, (or B. C. 1659,) is calculated to reflect dis- 

 grace and discredit not only on the chronology, but also on the entire 

 composition*. There seems however to be something more credible 

 when the installation of Cali Cara Cholan is dated C. Y. 3567, 

 (A. D. 465.) Just before there is an artificial structure visible in the 

 26 Cherans and 26 Pandiyans and 25 Cholans ; and ascending upwards 

 with these 25 generations from, say about C. Y. 3550 to C. Y. 1443, 

 the result would be 80 years to a generation, far beyond probability ; 

 and yet apparently to make room for so many generations the author 

 threw the earlier date so far back ; forgetting that the era of Saliva- 

 hana by common consent, did not commence until about 77 A. D. 

 Besides in the artificial, and untrue, representation of the three kings 

 being so much and so long together, and uniformly of the same mind, 

 there is a violation of what we know to be history, so far as they are 

 concerned. The utmost that can be admitted is, that the author put 

 together, in the best manner he could, the disjointed fragments of tradi- 

 tions which he had heard ; many of which may have been true, though not 

 true as he has collocated them, hence to judge of the value of any such 

 traditions it seems expedient to discover at what time the author wrote. 

 There is no trace as far as I can perceive, of his name, but he has given 

 an indication as to time. The book made use of, it may be observed 

 in passing, is from internal evidence, a copy from some other one. I* 

 is not easy to judge of the antiquity of palm-leaf copies of works, so 

 much depending on the care employed in the preservation. This parti- 

 cular copy may be 50 or possibly 100 years old. But however that 

 may be the date of the original cannot I think be much less than 300 

 years since. I derive the inference from the latter part, wherein Vira 



* See the preceding notes. — Ed. 



