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



The king was in favour of compelling all those who had 

 services to render in the making of guns, arms, &c, to take 

 up their residence in Colombo and Galle, but on the recommen- 

 dation of the viceroy, who pointed out that the holdings of 

 these people were barely sufficient for the maintenance of 

 their families while the men were engaged on their duties, 

 the existing custom was allowed to remain unaltered ; they 

 were however prohibited from selling any surplus arms which 

 they made to any but the Portuguese authorities. 



The ancient royal claim to all the elephants in the country 

 was asserted ; the vidanes over the aliyas engaged in the 

 hunt and over the panneas who supplied them with fodder, 

 whose services were indispensable in war, were placed under 

 the command of the general, who was instructed to lend 

 them to the vedor when they were required by the latter 

 for purposes of the hunt; but the right to appoint the 

 vidane over the hunters who noosed the animals was reserved 

 to the vedor. All these vidanes were to he selected exclusively 

 from the Sinhalese. The sale of the elephants was in future 

 to continue according to the existing custom, the best pur- 

 chaser being the Naik of Tan j ore. Though the people em- 

 ployed in the hunt were service tenants , it was usual to supply 

 them all with food and clothing while actually on duty. 

 These last, who numbered about three thousand, had each 

 to pay an annual sum, and their headmen had to pay deccuns 

 in proportion to the privileges they enjoyed ; all these were 

 credited to the royal treasury. Out of the villages set aside 

 from ancient times for the maintenance of this department 

 sufficient were to be reserved for the support of the people 

 engaged in the work, and all the ancient customs were to be 

 continued as under the Sinhalese kings. 



The Palleas* and Chalias had scattered among the villages 

 of private individuals, preparing cinnamon for them, when 

 their duty was to serve the Crown and to pay a certain 

 number of larins a year according to ancient custom. The 



* This word also appears as F 'areas, and is explained by the Portuguese 

 editor as Panneas, which is improbable. I understand from A. de S. 

 Rajapakse Mudaliyar that the Pella Kareyas are the lowest subdivision 

 of the Kurundukare class of the Salagama caste. 



