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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIII. 



and begat in our minds a resistless desire to go into the 

 limpid stream. We sported therein a long while, singing 

 such songs as pleased us. Then wringing the water from 

 our plaited locks, which rolled down our golden backs like 

 glistening sapphires, we, with flushed eyes, dried ourselves 

 and culled kandal* aniccam, and other fragrant flowers. 

 We heaped them on a rain-washed stone, broad and lying 

 alongside the stream, and weaving garlands wound them 

 round our locks and waists and rested under the cool 

 shade of an asoka\ tree, bearing fire-like flowers and 

 tender sprouts. Now and again by word and song we 

 frightened the green parrots away from the corn fields. 



Then appeared before us a mountain chief. His dark blue 

 locks, well anointed and made fragrant with the smoke of the 

 akil,% were interwoven with many coloured flowers from hill 

 and meadow, tree and fountain. From one ear hung down 

 to his shoulders the purple leaves of the asoka ; sweet- 

 smelling garlands of: flowers mingling with brilliant jewellery, 

 heirlooms in his family, adorned his broad chest painted 

 with candana\\ his strong arms, braceleted, held a many- 

 hued bow and select arrows. His loins were tightly girt 

 with cloth, and at every step the martial tinkle of his 

 virakkalal\ resounded. His fierce hounds, excited by 

 sport, resembling young warriors after a successful battle 

 with a mighty host, ran towards us yelping and baying. 



Startled, we essayed to leave our resting-place, but he 

 broke a leafy bough from a tree and drove the baying 

 hounds this way and that. He approached us with the gait 

 of a proud bull walking up to his newly-found mate when 

 he had vanquished his rivals in a hard-fought fight. He 

 spoke to us some pleasing words : " Lovely-eyed maidens," 

 said he, " the game I followed is lost ; did it come your 

 way ?" Though pleased, we returned him no answer. " If 

 you saw not the game, ladies, will it be an offence to speak 

 to me ?" said he, and waited for a reply. 



In the meanwhile, drunk with the well fermented frag- 

 rant wine handed to them by gazelle-eyed wives living in 

 huts thatched with straw, the watchers became neglectful 

 of the corn-fields until the alarm was raised that the corn 

 stalks were trodden down by an elephant. Fired with anger, 

 quickly stringing their bows, they struck the elephant with 



* Here mention is made of various kinds of flowers. &c., which I omit, 

 f AsoVa : Jonrsia asolia. Roxb. 



J AMI (Sans, aguru), the fragrant "aloe wood and tree (Aquiluria 

 agalloclia). 



§ Candana, here a paste made from the tantalum album. 

 || Virakkalal. a warrior's ankle rings. 



