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patent by the announcement that at the period of Gautama's third 

 visit to Lanka, b. c. 580, eight years after his attainment of the 

 Buddhahood, there were then " no human beings in the land," — 

 a strange and singular admission immediately after the statement 

 respecting the manner in which the kings and inhabitants of the 

 capital repaired to the preceding Buddhas when they manifested 

 themselves, thousands of years before, on the summit of the variously- 

 named mountain. This discourse of Mahinda, however, almost 

 exactly tallies with the statements of the Dipawansa, and there can 

 be no doubt but that both had a common origin. Chapters 15 and 

 16 continue the accounts of Mahinda's successful labours in the land. 

 Chapter 17 states, that after the holding of the " wasso" at the 

 Chetiya mountain, which terminated on the full moon day of the 

 month " Kattika" (Oct.-Nov.) five months after his arrival, Mahinda 

 " this great thero of profound wisdom," thus spoke : — 



"Maharaja, our divine teacher, the Supreme Buddha, has long been 

 out of our sight: we are sojourning here, unblessed by his presence. In 

 this land, O ruler of men! we have no object to which offerings can be 

 made." (The king) replied " Lord, most assuredly it has been stated to 

 me, that our Supreme Buddha had attained 'nibbuto' (and that a lock of 

 his hair, and the 'giwati' relic have been enshrined at Mahiyangana.) " 

 " Wherever his sacred relics are seen our vanquisher himself is seen," 

 (rejoined Mahinda). "I understand your meaning," (said, the monarch) 

 "a thupo is to be constructed by me. I will erect the thupo: do ye pro- 

 cure the relics." The thero replied to the king : " Consult with Sumana." 

 The sovereign then addressed that samanero, " From whence can we 

 procure relics?" " Ruler of men (said he) having decorated the city and 

 the highway, attended by a retinue of devotees, mounted on thy state 

 elephant, leaving the canopy of dominion, and cheered by the music of 

 the ' talawachara' band, repair in the evening to the Mahanaga pleasure 

 garden. There, O king ! wilt thou find relics." Thus to the piously 

 devoted monarch, spoke Sumana, who fully knew how the relics of Buddha 

 had been distributed," 



