1882.] XBN BATUTA IN THE MALDIVES AND CEYLON. 37 



As for us, we sailed on, though without an experienced pilot. 

 The distance which separates the Maldives from the Coromandel 

 Coast is three days' sail. We were for nine days under sail, and on 

 the 9th we went on shore at the island of Ceylon. We perceived 

 the mountain of Serendib raised in the air like a column of smoke. 

 When we came near the island, the mariners said, " This port is 

 not in the country of a Sultan in whose dominions the merchants 

 can go in all safety ; it is in the country of the Sultan Airy 

 { Chacavouaty* "who is one of the unjust and perverse. He has ships 

 engaged in piracy on the high seas." Wherefore we feared to 

 land at his port, but, the wind rising, we were in danger of being 

 swamped, and I said to the Captain, " Put me ashore and I will 

 get for you a safe-conduct from this Sultan." He did as I re- 

 quested, and put me out on the beach. The idolaters advanced 

 to meet us and said, u Who are you?" I apprized them that I 

 was the brother-in-law and friend of the Sultan of Coromandel, 

 that I was on my way to pay him a visit, and that what was on 

 board the ship was destined for a present to that prince. The 

 natives went to their Sovereign and communicated to him my 

 reply. He sent for me, and I presented myself before him at 

 the town of Batthdlah ( Putitdam which was his capital. It is 



* Airy Chacarouaty: — This seems to be the (?) Pandiyan prince, " Aareya 

 €hakkra Warti," mentioned in Pridham (Ceylon, Vol I.,p. 78), who, after 1371 

 A.D., conquered the northern half of the Island, and took King Wikrama captive, 

 hut was defeated by the Adigar Alakeswara, and possibly the same Malabar 

 Prince captured and put to death by Prince " Sapoomal Cumara." — See Upham's 

 Eajawali, p.264, 269. [A correspondent writes : — " The name identifies no indi- 

 vidual. All the Kings of Jaff na seem to have been called Ariya or Ariyan — an 

 old title in India. See the Khandagiri rock inscription, and one of those over 

 the Manikpura cave at Udayagiri (Cunningham's Corpus Insc. Indie, Vol. I. ) 

 Jaffna at this period (A.D. 1344) was, if the Vaipava Mdlai can be trusted, 

 under the rule of Kunavirasinka Ariyan." — Bi] 



-j- Batthdlah': — This town has been identified with Puttalam by Lee, 

 Tennent, the French Editor, and Col. Yule, successively ; but, it seems to me, 

 without sufficient authority. The # of BattMM b against it; so too the want 



