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



in regard to the diameter of the earth, the moon, &c., which being multi- 

 plied by 5 nearly correspond with the distances in miles as given in the 

 European works on Astronomy, — an indirect proof in support of his con- 

 tention. According to a table i given in Kanthapuranam, tit. Andakosam, 

 a yojana is equal to 32,000 yards, while some authorities give it as equal to 

 16,000 yards, and others 8,000 yards. 



16 " Some far off halloo breaks the silent air." — Milton. Cf. the peculiar 

 war cry of the Wangwana, which Stanley phonetically renders " Hehu- 

 a-hehu." (Through the Bark Continent, p. 80.) 



17 Cf . time table of the Tamils :— 



(Orientalist, vol. III., parts 7 and 8, p. 144.) 



18 According to an extract from the Sara Sangrahaya (written about 

 1708 A.D.) given in the introduction to Alwis' Sidat Sangardwa, p. 24 : 

 "the time occupied in winking the eye is called saltshana, a second equal 

 to the time necessary for the utterance of a lagu, or short vowel ; 

 18 seconds make a hasti or minute, 36 minutes make an hour, 2 hours one 

 mohota, 30 mohotas make a day and night, 15 days make a paksha, 

 2 pakshas make one month, 2 months a season." 



Clough defines ahurusene as so short a time as would occupy a snap of 

 the fingers, and anudrita as half a druta or \ of a matra, or the time taken 

 to articulate a short vowel. 



The time occupied by the twinkling of an eye is called mat ; the measure 

 of this time is called luhu, and is equal to the sound of a short vowel. 

 (Alwis' Sidat Sangardwa, appendix C, p. 216.) 



19 Two mats are called guru, and are equal to the sounding of a long 

 vowel, or of a vowel sound preceding a consonant made mute by the sign 

 hal — a mute consonant gathal is equal to half a mat. (Alwis' Sidat 

 Sangardwa, appendix C, p. 216.) These sounds or syllabic instants 

 are further referred to as follows :— " One instant is light, and is called 

 a lugu ; two instants are heavy, and are called guru ; three instants are 

 prolated, and are called puluta ; and a silent letter is only half an instant. 

 These instants are also illustrated by certain writers by the notes of birds 

 and cries of animals — e.g., the note of the chataca represents a lagu, the 

 croaking of a raven a guru, the shrill prolated cry of the peacock a 

 puluta, and the suppressed cry of a weasel half an instant, or less than 

 one instant. (Ibid., p. cxx.) 



2 winks 



2 snaps 



2 mattirai 



2 kuru 



6 uir 



12 kshanikam 



60 vinadi 



1\ nalikai 



8 watches 



30 days 



12 months 



day 



month 



year 



uir 



kshanikam 



vinadi 

 nalikai 

 watch 



a snap (of the fingers) 



mattirai 



kuru 



