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JOURNAL R. A. S. (CEYLON). [Vol. III. 



on the subject ; and you will have smiled at Knighton's un- 

 accountable substitution of Sandal for Satin wood, in men- 

 tioning the material of which the Peradeniya Bridge was built. 



The Cockle seems to have been identical with our Prickly 

 Brinjal, the kata- iva m batu of the Sinhalese, and a species 

 of Solanum. 



The Bay tree or Bay Laurel does not grow here, but the 

 Cinnamon and other trees are representatives of the family 

 to which it belongs. 



The Shittah tree (Isa. xli. 19) is supposed to have been a 

 species of Acacia, of which genus we have eight species indige- 

 nous to Ceylon. In riding from the Hotel at Alexandria to see 

 Cleopatra's Needle and Pompey's Pillar, I found that the tree 

 which formed avenues all along the roads, was the Surya- 

 mdra of the Sinhalese, the A. speciusa common in Colombo, 

 and one of which is often in flower in front of the Queen's 

 House. It is not unlikely that Anthony and Cleopatra may 

 have reposed under the shade of this species of tree in the 

 vicinity of Alexandria. 



The word Ebony occurs only once in the Bible. (Ezek. xxvii. 

 15.) Several trees producing Ebony of various qualities are 

 found in India, Mauritius and elsewhere, but Ceylon is 

 famed for its Ebony, and there are no less than 21 species of 

 it indigenous to the Island. There is frequent allusion in 

 the ancient Poets to Ebony. 



" ■ sola India nigrum. 



Fert ebenum ." ( Virg. Georg. 11. 117.) 



"This ground with Bacchus that with Ceres suits: 

 That other loads the trees with happy fruits ; 

 A fourth with grass, unbidden, decks the ground ; 

 Thus Tmolus is with yellow saffron crown 'd ; 

 India black ebott and white Iv'ry bears 

 And soft Idume weeps her od'rous tears. 



Dryden, Virg. Georg. 1. 

 " They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn 

 incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, 



