ISTo. 37—1888.] INDUSTRIES OF CEYLON. 363 



successors of this day still retain some remnants of that 

 ancient superstition. Neither demons nor savages, the ancient 

 people called Yakhos were evidently a civilised and intelligent 

 race. Mr. Spence Hardy implies so much in the passage 

 already quoted, in reference to their language, but he further 

 says : " Speaking of a time long anterior to Wijayo's, I am 

 far from thinking that the ancient race of the Island was so 

 rude and ignorant as it is generally regarded." Indeed, it 

 appears from history that a few only of the Yakho chiefs 

 were conquered by force of arms, and that the rest were won 

 over by the diplomatic skill and tact of the conquerors, for 

 it is stated that Panduwasa, Wijayo's immediate successor, 

 permitted certain of the Yakho chiefs, Kalawelo and Chitto, 

 to exercise great authority. He even allowed them, on great 

 public occasions, to sit upon a throne of equal height and 

 dignity with that on which he himself was seated. 



We attach no importance to the name, Yakhos, by which 

 the people were called. It is no new thing to speak in 

 contemptuous terms of a conquered people or even of 

 strangers. We ourselves are still designated by the Chinese 

 as barbarians and foreign devils. 



3. Passing by the evidences of wealth which are exhibited 

 in the construction of gilt palaces and other edifices of which 

 ruins still remain to attest their magnificence, the fact of the 

 condition which the city of Anuradhapura had attained with- 

 in half a century after Panduwasa's reign may be adduced 

 in proof of the wealth of the country at that time. 



This city already figured as a centre, in and around which 

 several vast tanks had been completed, numerous palaces and 

 religious edifices had been erected, and the city itself contain- 

 ed an organisation of which some idea may be formed from 

 the fact, that there was a staff of 500 scavengers, 200 night 

 men, 150 corpse bearers, and 150 chandala attendants at the 

 public cemetery, all maintained, of course, at the public 

 expense. 



The marvellous nature of the works achieved by the 

 Sinhalese, and the rapidity with which they were executed 



