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



Mr. WALL, in briefly replying to the remarks made by his 

 Lordship, said he did not think the value of the evidence he 

 had adduced had been impaired, and was glad to find that 

 the Chairman considered that he had succeeded in substan- 

 tiating his point. 



With regard to the fact that the Malidwansa, or the 

 earlier part of it, including the period of Wijayo's landing, 

 must be taken with the accompanying fact that it was. 

 not written until some 800 or 900 years after, this was 

 the case with many histories, and it must be borne in 

 mind that the events were not written from memory, but 

 from documents in existence, some of which they had 

 amongst them now in the tikds or commentaries. There 

 were the original inscriptions of the buildings and tanks at 

 that time also ; this must not be lost sight of, for the ruins of 

 many of these still existed. The strong confirmation which 

 Mr. Tumour had given of the authenticity of the Mahdwansa 

 was in the following expression of that eminent translator's 

 opinion : " that the accuracy of the work was established by 

 every evidence which could contribute to verify the annals 

 of any country." 



There was one argument which he had not included in 

 his Paper, as the first mention of it at a date somewhat 

 subsequent to the period he had dealt with on the present 

 occasion. It was that all the endowments and gifts to temples, 

 viharas, and religious and secular institutions generally were 

 made in rice lands, and the villages appertaining thereto, 

 this cultivation apparently forming the sole permanent and 

 constant source of income. 



Mr. HENRY BOIS proposed a cordial vote of thanks to 

 Mr. Wall — which he was sure would be carried with accla- 

 mation for his very interesting Paper. 



The motion was unanimously agreed to, and the pro- 

 ceedings terminated. 



