268 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. X. 



" This work with which we are dealing was translated into 

 French by M. le Grand ; it was printed at Paris, Trevoux, 

 and Amsterdam, in the year 1701, in 8vo., and was noticed in 

 the Journal des Sgavans of May 30 and the Memoires de 

 Trevoux of March and April of the same year. 



" In both these journals it is stated, and M. le Grand himself 

 confesses, that he did not confine himself to translating the 

 work of Ribeiro, but that he augmented it by many chapters 

 under the name of Additions. 



" We should certainly be much indebted to M. le Grand if 

 this were the only liberty taken by him and carried out with 

 reference to his original ; but he has done much more, viz., 

 (1) he has omitted whole chapters, as may be seen, for example, 

 in Book II., which in the original has 27 chapters and in the 

 translation 23 ; and in Book III., which, consisting in the 

 original of 10 chapters, has only 2, and these very short, in 

 the translation ; (2) he has altered, at his pleasure, the order 

 of the narrative and the distribution of the materials of the 

 chapters, omitting many things which appeared to him either 

 superfluous or of minor importance ; (3) he has shown (what 

 is most material) that in many and frequent passages he has 

 not understood the original Portuguese, with which language 

 he appears not to have been well acquainted. 



" Of this last accusation, which may perhaps be considered 

 the most serious, we feel bound to give some proofs, that 

 it may be seen that we do not impute to M. le Grand errors 

 or defects that he has not allowed to be printed in his 

 so-called translation. 



" In Book I., chap. III., near the end, the author says that 

 ' from the kingdom of Cotta were brought every year some 

 thousand champanas (which are like sumacas of forty tons) 

 of areca.' The translator says that every year there were 

 brought from the kingdom of Cotta ' more than a thousand 

 boats, each one of sixty tons, of a certain sand [cTun certain 

 sable] which is much used throughout all the Indies.' 



" In chap. XIII. of the same Book I. Ribeiro says ' that the 

 soldier, captain, or commander who had married, and 

 wished the same day to retire from the service of the King, 

 might do so, such being the practice.' M. le Grand says 

 that 4 the soldiers and officers could quit the service when 

 they wished, so long as they did not desert.' 



" In the same Book I., chap. XXI., the author, speaking of 

 the pepper of Ceylon and of the great value attached to it, 

 reflects, that as the Chingalas have no eyes for this fruit, 

 except to pay their dues to their lords, 4 they gather it fully 

 ripe, and generally the greater part is allowed to ripen on 

 the trees,' &c. The translator says, however, that the pepper 

 of Ceylon sells at a higher price than that of other places, 



