amongst the Singhalese. 233 



bath, and Pihanardlas were Royal cooks. It is needless to 

 enter into a minute detail of the names of the other officers. 

 They are chiefly descriptive of their several occupations. 

 The reader may obtain a great deal of information on the 

 subject by a reference to Davy's History of Ceylon, where 

 the names are given at length, with an account of the various 

 duties which the officers performed. 



The Ceylon Council of State, and our ancient Court were 

 not unlike those of the Hindus. From the mention of 

 various terms which occur in books, we gather that the mem- 

 bers of whom the Singhalese Court consisted, were the same 

 that are referred to in the Hindu Plays ;* such as, Mantris 

 or "Councillors," Dutas^ or "Messengers," Wadakayds 

 " Death's Ministers,"— of which there were two kinds, wild 

 animals, such as " Elephants and Horses,' and Wadakarus 

 or " executioners,"| — Char a purusas or " spies," Nanayak 

 hams or <f disguised emissaries or informers.''^ 



* " The Court looks like a Sea ; — its councillors 

 Are deep engulphed in thought ; its tossing waves 

 Are wrangling Advocates ; its brood of monsters 

 Are those wild animals — death's Ministers. — 

 Attornies skim like wily snakes the surface — 

 Spies are the shell-fish cowering 'midst its weeds, 

 And vile Informers, like the hovering curlew 

 Hang fluttering o'er, then pounce upon their prey ! 



Pr. Wilson's Hindu Plays, i. p. 149. 



t This word Pr. Wilson interprets to mean " attornies," or " the envoys or repre- 

 sentatives of the parties." — Hindu Plays, i. p. 149, Note. 



% Tradition says, that in ancient times in Ceylon, a criminal underwent the same 

 ordeal that is described in the following passage in the Budhistical annals :—" In afore- 

 time, the Wajjian rulers, on a person being brought and presented to them, thus 

 charged : ' this is a malefactor, dispose of him accordingly.' They surrender him to 

 the Winichchiya mahamatta or ' chief Judicial Officer.' Having examined him, if they 

 conceive ' this man is not a culprit,' they release him. If they decide, ' this is a male- 

 factor/ without awarding any penalty, they transfer him to the Woharika, ' learned in 

 the laws.' They also having investigated the matter, discharge him, if he be innocent ; 

 but if he be guilty, there are certain officers called Sutiadhara, ' maintainers of the 

 Suttan, 7 to whom they transfer him. They also inquire into the matter and discharge 

 him, if he be innocent ; but if guilty, they transfer him to the Attakulaka, 1 a Judicial 

 institution composed of judges from all the eight tribes.' They also having observed 



