8 



NOTES ON A S ANNAS, 

 by Lionel F.Lee, Esq., CCS. Hon. Secy. 



It is well-known that the kings of Kandy were in the 

 habit of bestowing upon their favourites particular lands, as 

 well as the services of tenants of royal villages, by grants 

 engraven on copper. 



A description of such a grant, or Sannas, upon which 

 are claimed large extents of land in the Four Korales, may 

 prove of interest to the readers of this Society's Journal. 



The Sannas of which I write is remarkable for beauty of 

 workmanship, as well as on account of the engravings on it, 

 of the figures of a lion and a leopard. 



The plate of copper is about fifteen inches long and four 

 broad, and its thickness is such that it cannot easily be bent. 



Round the plate on both sides runs an ornamental 

 border of silver. 



On each side is a margin. In the margin on the one 

 side are figures of the sun and moon, and between them the 

 royal sign C( Sri" ; on the other side are figures of the lion 

 and leopard. 



The accompanying sketch shews the figures of the size 

 of the original. 



The interpretation of the figures of the sun and moon 

 is manifestly " as long as the sun and moon endure." 



The lion represents either the royal lion-race, or the 

 Sinhalese people. 



Various interpretations have been assigned to the figure 

 of the leopard. The most remarkable seems to be that 

 the figure stands for the word " diwi," signifying "life" as 

 well as " leopard." 



