398 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XL 



the king and his attendants the beast swam across Palk's 

 Strait and landed in Ceylon at Urd-tota, " Hog-ferry " 

 (modern Kankesanturai), near Jaffna. To accomplish its 

 object the beast passed through the city in which King 

 Panduwasa dwelt, crossed the chain of rocks at the spot where 

 Andagala joined the rest of the chain, effecting a breach in 

 the range, which was thereafter called Uru-pd-kada* The 

 high road to Dambulla passes through here. A piece of sweet 

 potato that the beast brought from the royal garden in his 

 mouth, and which he dropped at Attapitiya in his flight hence, 

 was immediately changed, it is said, into a rock, which pre- 

 serves its original form, and is called Batala-gala, or "Sweet 

 Potato rock." It pursued its course up to the Hantana hill near 

 Kandy, where King Malaya instantly attacked it with his 

 sword. On receiving the wound the boar became trans- 

 formed into a rock, which is called Uru-gala, and is said to 

 retain the mark of the wound ! 



King Malaya, surprised and perplexed with the marvels 

 he had witnessed that day, was visited by Sakra, Vishnu, and 

 other gods, who explained the mystery to him. The royal 

 physician was thereupon taken to King Panduwasa, who was 

 attended on and cured of the disease by oblations and 

 sacrifices to the gods, attended with the usual religious 

 formalities, King Malaya appearing as a Brahmin. 



Davy, in tracing the origin of the Veddas from legendary 

 sources, relates that King Malaya left behind some of his 

 retainers at the special request of the grateful Panduwasa, 

 who allotted them large tracts of land for their exclusive 

 possession, that they might enjoy their favourite diversion 

 of hunting. These, it is said, were the progenitors of the 



* The present incumbent of the temple at Urupakada gave me another 

 derivation. He said that there was a slab of rock in the village, under 

 which two heaps of treasure were supposed to have been buried, one con- 

 sisting of " eight measures of pearls," hence Mutt-ettu-gala. an adjoining 

 village, and the other pieces of gold, wardgan. On the stone were carved 

 the feet of a wild boar — hence Uru-pa-Ttada. — [The legend is applied in 

 the Kegalla District to Urakanda and Batalagala. — B., Hon. Sec] 



