JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XX. 



pleased with the sweetness of its odours, the softness of its airs, 

 the coolness of its rivers, and the beauty of its woods : where- 

 fore they determined to remain there, and began to form their 

 towns. The first city that they founded was in that part of 

 Mantota, opposite to Manar 1 . Here they remained sustain- 

 ing themselves for some time with the multitude of fish from 

 the sea and rivers, and with the many and excellent fruits from 

 the jungles, which all consisted of oranges, limes and lemons, 

 and other different sorts very sweet to the smell and very 

 delicious to the taste. And on account of the great fertility 

 that they found in all respects, they gave to that island the 

 name of Lancao, which is a word that corresponds to " Earthly 

 Paradise." This was the first name that it had, and its true 

 one, which it still preserves 2 . 



After these strangers had been there some months, there put 

 in to that island some vessels from the opposite coast for the 

 fishery of seed-pearls 3 (of which there is great plenty there), 

 and coming to speech with those that were in them, they 

 learnt that they were from a kingdom that lay on the other 

 side of the mainland a day's journey, in which reigned a ruler 

 called Cholca 4 Raya; and having obtained information re- 

 garding his state and power, the prince entertained the idea of 

 forming a family alliance with him. To this end he dispatched 

 in the same vessels some ambassadors, by whom he sent to beg 

 him that since they were such neighbours he would think well 

 that they should have intercourse and should be united by 

 family ties by his giving him a daughter in marriage, and 

 some others of the noble ladies of his realms as wives of those 

 men that he had brought with him. These ambassadors 

 arrived at the opposite coast, and were conducted to the king, 

 who received them well, and learning about the prince, and 

 whose son he was (the father being well known throughout 

 the whole of the East) , he considered himself fortunate in his 



1 Couto has probably confused Mantota with Tammanatota (see 

 Rdjdv. 16). 



2 Barros, as we have seen above (p. 32), credits the Siamese alone 

 with calling the island " Lamca." Couto is correct in his statements 

 in the last sentence, but his explanation of Lanka would apply more 

 appropriately to the name of Tenassarim == tanah sari, " land of happi- 

 ness " (see Hob. -Job. s.v. " Tenasserim "). 



3 The statements here made by Couto are not corroborated by the 

 extant native chronicles - but they are interesting, and may be founded 

 on popular tradition. 



4 An evident misprint or misreading for " Cholea." According to the 

 Sinhalese chronicles, however, it was the Pandya and not the Chola 

 kingdom from which Vijaya obtained his queen. 



