NO. 37.— 1888.] INDUSTRIES OF CEYLON. 



355 



sovereign, Kalaseno, who was just about to form a family 

 alliance with another, the King of the Yakho city, Lankapura. 

 The event was to be celebrated by a wedding festival of seven 

 days' duration, and she treacherously suggested that this 

 would be a rare opportunity for a surprise attack. Profiting 

 by her information and advice, Wijayo proceeded to the 

 distant scene of the festivity, and slaughtered the assembled 

 Yakho guests in the midst of their conviviality. This done, 

 Wijayo appropriated Kalaseno's court dress to his own use, 

 and his retinue, following his example, helped themselves to 

 the rich wedding garments of the other slaughtered Yakhos. 

 These and other collateral circumstances establish the fact 

 that the Yakhos concerned were neither demons nor Veddas. 

 Sovereigns, cities, and court dresses contrast strangely with 

 what we know of chiefs in war paint, skin, and feathers, 

 the orgies in which they indulge, and the life led by nomadic 

 tribes who live by the chase. 



The theory propounded by Tennent seems to have been 

 suggested, and indeed necessitated, by the fundamental mistake 

 into which he, in common with so many other authors, was 

 led by regarding the Yakhos as savage aborigines — Veddas, 

 in fact, whose manner of life is such as he and his followers 

 describe. 



After the events just mentioned, Wijayo departed from 

 the Yakho capital, founded the city of Tambapanni, and 

 settled there. His chief ministers then proceeded to 

 form separate establishments, each for himself. Anu- 

 radho formed his far away on the banks of the Kadambi 

 river, Upatisso went still further north, and Uruwelo and 

 Wijito settled southwards and eastwards, in places not 

 now identifiable. From this dispersion of Wijayo and his 

 ministers to form settlements in parts of the country widely 

 distant from each other, it may be confidently inferred that 

 the places mentioned were well populated, and that the 

 people were of a peaceable character, or Wijayo's small party 

 would not have dared to separate. Nor would ministers or 

 princes settle in deserts or jungles, where there were not 



