No. 35.— 1887.] 



NOTES ON CEYLON. 



149 



carried anything, one after another, which is the common 

 Cingalese custom, namely, fowls and various fruits and 

 eatables. All these bearers, quite one hundred in number, 

 went below a piece of white linen that was carried on sticks, 

 stretched like a pavilion or canopy over their heads. On 

 each side marched armed soldiers or Lascarijns, and in this 

 manner they came to the house of the Governor. This gift 

 was usually sent to the hospital, and was made thrice a year. 



There was great preparation being made for a grand show 

 of arms at the burial of the deceased King. The funeral 

 procession was arranged in the following manner : at 7 o'clock 

 in the morning the assemblage took place before the house of 

 the Governor, and at 8 o'clock the Lascarijns who were on duty 

 began to march forward, one after the other, in the Cingalese 

 manner. After them followed nine companies of footmen 

 with helmets on their heads, and each with a black silk band on 

 his arm, the musket reversed behind the back ; the pikemen 

 trailed their pikes, on each of which also a black band was 

 tied. All the military officers were in mourning. Before 

 each company went a field-piece, that was drawn by slaves, 

 with several gunners to fire and load these as might be 

 needful, After these nine companies followed a company 

 of sailors, each with a battle-axe in his hand and a pistol in 

 his belt. The company of the Governor was in armour. 

 After this, that is, after the company of sailors, followed 

 four trumpeters and a kettledrum, all on horseback and in 

 deep mourning, and the coat-of-arms of the King of Candien, 

 which is a red lion on a golden field, to the best of my 

 recollection, was designed all round on the cloths, both of 



the kettledrums and of the 14 of the 



trumpeters. Next followed the great standard of the king, 

 then two smaller ones, then a led horse fully clothed in 

 black velvet, then the banner of the king, from the two ends 

 of which tiffany or crape, two ells in length, trailed behind ; 

 then another led horse in mourning, then the gilt spurs, the 

 gloves, the golden dagger in its sheath, the helmet, the coat of 

 mail. All these things were carried by petty merchants, all of 



