No. 57.— 1906.] 



PROCEEDINGS. 



35 



might be developed by some Member of the Society into a con- 

 tinuous account of the history of the Tooth-relic since its arrival 

 in Ceylon in 310 a.d. This remains to be done. 



Then, again, the late learned Mr. James Alwis's unfinished 

 work has never been taken up, and we have yet to see an 

 adequate and complete history of Sinhalese literature. 



In this connection it may be remarked that the Committee on 

 Oriental Studies are anxious to have a text book on the Philology 

 of the Sinhalese language and another on the Archaeology of 

 Ceylon. 



I know how big a subject and large an undertaking are opened 

 up when I ask what has become of the " Sinhalese Glossary 

 Committee," for which our Bishop President did so much. It 

 would be well if we could persuade his brother, and successor in 

 the Diocese, to join our Society and to take a part (for which, as 

 an accomplished Sinhalese scholar, he is so well fitted) in a new 

 " Glossary Committee," towards the fulfilment of the adequate 

 Sinhalese Dictionary, which all our scholars desiderate. 



The translation for our transactions of that part of Valentyn 

 which treats of Ceylon has yet to be accomplished ; perhaps it 

 may be done after Mr. Donald Ferguson has finished his present 

 translations for our Society. 



A very minor but interesting question to be answered is, By 

 which Sinhalese King was the canal between the Kelani river 

 and Negombo lake — alluded to by Jesuit priests in 1613 — con- 

 structed ? Mr. Donald Ferguson says he cannot tell. Is there 

 any reference in the old books to help us ? The Government 

 Archivist tells me there were six principal kings between 1500 and 

 1600 a.d. (the period when it must have been cut), apart from 

 inferior kings. He thinks Don Juan Dharmapala (1542-1584) to 

 be the most likely to have made the canal. 



Some day we may hope to see a new edition revised, corrected, 

 and brought up to date of the most charming and instructive 

 book ever written about Ceylon, namely, the two volumes by 

 Sir J. Emerson Tennent, published over forty years ago. 

 The editor and reviser will find much information to help him 

 in our Journals, notably in the Paper demonstrating that the 

 Chinese invaders fought the Sinhalese King at Kotte and not at 

 Gampola ; that Sirivardanapura was not the modern Kandy, 

 but a town six miles from Dambadeniya, on the road between 

 Kurunegala and Negombo ; and that the Portuguese first 

 appeared at Colombo rather than Galle. 



A new and judiciously edited reprint of Robt. Knox's ever- 

 interesting book, embodying all the errata which he himself 

 supplied, and giving notes identifying the places mentioned as far 

 as possible, would be a useful work. Mr. Donald Ferguson has 

 collected a good deal more of information about Knox since his 

 pamphlet on the subject appeared. 



An up-to-date " Gazetteer of Ceylon," utilizing so far Simon 

 Casie Chitty's work of seventy years ago, and still more Sir 

 Archibald Lawrie's admirable " Kandyan Gazetteer," would be 

 useful. 



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