82 TSS SPORTS AND GAMES OF THE SINGHALESE. 



are made in the ground, and a fair-way smoothed between 

 them in a straight line. The players now take their stand,, 

 and shoot their Battas into the opposite hole. The shoot- 

 ing is performed by holding the Batta between the fingers- 

 of the left hand, resting the thumb of the right on the 

 ground, and using the middle finger of the right as a 

 spring. The player who succeeds in holing his Batta goes- 

 out as winner, while the others continue the play, the 

 player furthest from the hole taking precedence. He 

 shoots at the nearest Batta on the ground, gathers them 

 all up and putting all but two into the hole, places one at 

 its edge and with the other shoots at it. The owner of 

 this Batta then shoots at the nearest Batta, and should 

 he strike one and get into the hole, he goes out as winner ' r 

 but should he only strike, he is entitled to play upon all 

 the others gradually lessening the circle until he can him- 

 self get into the hole, when he stands out. The others- 

 then go on repeating the play, the one nearest the hole 

 beginning, until only one is left, who is the loser, and has- 

 to hop on one leg from one hole to the other. The num- 

 ber of times he has to hop for each defeat is determined,, 

 by the first player placing a batta at one hole and shooting' 

 at it from the other, and if he succeeds in hitting he 

 exacts seven runs, should the second player also succeed 

 in hitting a Batta in the same manner, he is entitled to 

 fourteen runs, and so on, increasing by as many sevens as 

 there are winners. 



Ira Batu or Line " Battu. This is played 



very much in the same manner as the Kundubattu, the 

 difference being that, instead of holes, a circle of about 

 six inches is drawn on the ground, with a line through the 



