4 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XII.. 



Moreover, the argument in proof of the facts as described 

 in my last Paper does not depend upon the verbal accuracy 

 of the details of the history, nor is its force impaired by 

 some obvious Orientalisms of the narrative, but rest upon 

 undisputed facts. In short, if Wijayo really landed in 

 Ceylon and obtained supreme rule over it, or a considerable 

 part of it ; if his ministers dispersed and established his 

 dominion over several distant parts of the Island ; if 

 Panduwo, king of Madura, a few years later sent his 

 daughter to renowned Sihala to be Wijayo's bride, accom- 

 panied by noble Pandiyan ladies and an equipage befitting a 

 royal personage ; if, in fact, the whole history be not a myth, 

 — the conclusions therefrom in the Second Paper are un- 

 questionable, notwithstanding some possible numerical 

 exaggerations and flights of Oriental fancy indulged in by 

 the historians to embellish their work. The large number 

 and advanced condition of the people stand attested by the 

 nature of their institutions themselves, even more than by 

 any details or colouring of their number and magnitude 

 affected by the historians. 



For the present purpose the period to which the argument 

 relates is comprised within the first century and a half after 

 Wijayo's rule. Whatever works of national importance were 

 done during that period must have been effected by means of 

 resources pre-existing, as that sovereign and his seven hundred 

 followers could not have created new national resources. 

 Their utmost efforts could only have been exerted to utilise 

 the means they found ready to their hand, and to employ 

 the people who were in occupation of the country. 



It follows that any hypothesis which may be tested to 

 account for the wealth of the Island, and the sources from 

 which it was derived, must be consistent with the existence 

 of the courts, institutions, language, and forms of govern- 

 ment that have been proved to have existed then. 



History and experience would point to agriculture as the 

 most probable origin of national wealth, and would naturally 

 be the first hypothesis to be subjected to the test of research ; 



