358 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. X. 



opposite theory, that Ceylon was inhabited in Wijayo's time 

 by Yakhos, who were not Sinhalese, but savages, Veddas in 

 fact, living on fruit, honey, and the products of the chase, 

 will not bear the test of logical inference, and must give 

 place to one which is consistent in itself, and is besides 

 strongly supported by recent philological research into the 

 origin and history of the Sinhalese language. 



On this subject the Rev. Spence Hardy has stated the 

 probability that " the Sinhalese language was spoken long 

 before the arrival of Wijayo." "Either this prince," he says, 

 "imposed his own language upon the people whom he 

 conquered, or his descendants adopted the language pre- 

 viously spoken in the Island," the former being an untenable 

 supposition, without parallel in history, and the second 

 being therefore all but certain. 



Judged by the actions recorded of him, Wijayo could not 

 have been so wild and reckless an adventurer as to have gone 

 with his retinue to a country, either altogether unknown or 

 known to be inhabited by savages, so unprovided, that his 

 party had at the outset to accept the hospitality of the 

 princess Kuweni. Considering the proximity of Ceylon to 

 India, it is most improbable that its real condition could 

 have been unknown there. Panduwo, in fact, spoke of it 

 as renowned, and as he had no hesitation in sending his 

 daughter and her noble associates thither, so soon after 

 Wijayo's accession, he must have had reason to be satisfied 

 with the resources of the Island and the character of the 

 people. Indeed, the pacific disposition of the Yakhos, if not 

 already well known, must have become so very shortly after- 

 wards, or their country would not have been so frequently 

 invaded by comparatively small bands. It seems probable, 

 in fact, that Wijayo's was one of these incursions, and perhaps 

 not the first of those easy victories already alluded to. The 

 facts suggest that the motive and preconceived intention of 

 the expedition was to obtain the power over and to command 

 the riches of the country, ends in which he succeeded so 

 completely, and seeing that Gautama had foretold that such 



