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CEYLON BRANCH 



say that in a green forest before us it rains continually : to 

 what distance does a rainy wind blow ? About a yodun's dis- 

 tance, Sir. Have any of you felt this rainy wind ? No Sir* 

 At what distance does the rainy cloud appear ? About a 

 yodun, Sir. Have any of you seen a rainy cloud ? No Sir, 

 At what distance may the flash of the lightning Ibe seen ? 

 About four or five yoduns, Sir. Have any of you seen the 

 lightning ? No Sir. At what distance may the sound of 

 thunder be heard ? At rather more than a yodun's distance, 

 Sir. Have any of you heard the sound of thunder ? No Sir. 

 These, Bodisat continued, are not men, they are demons; their 

 object is to induce us to throw away our water, that when we 

 are faint, they may kill and eat us. The unwise merchant who 

 preceded us was not skilled in devices* Assuredly, he has been 

 led to throw away his water, and has been devoured, and the 

 500 waggons full of goods have been left standing, and we shall 

 see them to day : throw not away a drop of water, but proceed 

 rapidly. Going forward, they Came to the place where the 500 

 waggons filled with goods were standing, and saw the bones 

 of the men and oxen scattered about. After they had taken 

 their meal and fed the oxen, they formed a circle with the 

 waggons, placed the cattle in the centre, and the men round 

 them : and placing a guard of strong men, Bodisat watched 

 sword in hand during the night, even till the dawn. The next 

 morning early, having completed the necessary arrangements, 

 and fed the cattle, they changed such of their waggons as were 

 weak for stronger ones belonging to the first caravan, and 

 casting away articles of little value, filled the waggons with 

 those which were costly, and arriving at the proposed mart, 

 sold the whole for twice or three times the cost price, and 

 returned in safety with all his attendants to Benares, 



Budha having thus spoken, said, Grahapati, the followers 



