138 CEYLON BRANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



replied, you shall requite me when a necessity occurs. Thus 

 going from place to place he contracted friendship and acquaintance 

 with the traders. One day, he received information from them, 

 that on the morrow a merchant would come to the city with 

 500 horses. Hearing this he immediately went to the grass 

 cutters and said, to day let each one of you give me a bundle 

 of grass, and let no person sell any till I have disposed of 

 mine. To this they agreed ; brought the 500 bundles of grass, 

 and put them at his door. The horse-merchant having gone 

 through the city for fodder without obtaining any gave him 

 1000 pieces of gold for his 500 bundles of grass. 



Some time afterwards a naval friend informed him that a 

 largo trading vessel had arrived at the port: he accordingly 

 adopted the following expedient. He hired a carriage with se- 

 veral attendants for eight kahapanas, and drove to the port in 

 great splendour ; agreed to purchase the whole cargo and gave 

 his seal-ring as a pledge. He then erected a tent at a short 

 distance, sat there, and gave directions to his hired attendants 

 that when the Benares merchants should arrive, three distinct 

 messengers should bring him the information. About 100 of 

 the Benares merchants having heard of the arrival of the ves- 

 sel came to the port to purchase part of the cargo ; but they 

 were informed that they could obtain nothing as the whole had 

 been purchased by a great merchant who was transacting busi- 

 ness in the tent. Hearing this they went to him, the attendants 

 having given him notice of their approach, and each of the 

 merchants gave him 1000 pieces as a premium to have a half 

 share of the cargo, and afterwards gave him a similar sum that 

 they might be allowed to purchase the other half. Chullante- 

 wasiko having thus gained two lacks returned to Benares, and 

 from a feeling of gratitude took one lack as a present to the 

 nobleman Chulla Sett'ho and recounted the whole of the cir- 

 cumstances to him. The nobleman was so much pleased that 

 he gave him his daughter in marriage, and he ultimately sue- 



