District of Chilaw and Putlam. 49 



within the District, of whom, as far as I am aware, history 

 contains any record. 



In Upham's Collections (Vol. III. p. 324 et seq.) there is an 

 account of the removal of the branch of the Bogaha tree from 

 Tambudwipa to Bodimandela at Anooradhapoora, &c. In 

 this tract particular mention is made of a Malabar nation 

 having been called to assist in a local war which occurred in 

 the time of Tissa who followed Dootoogamini. The foreigners 

 landed at Karative, fourteen miles north of Putlam, and appear 

 to have proceeded towards the interior nearly by the line of 

 the present Kurnegalle road. What we are to understand by 

 the nine hundred cannons which the Malabars brought with 

 them, it is difficult to surmise ; probably the confusion arises 

 from mis-translation. 



The inhabitants, as in other maritime districts, are composed 

 of people of many nations. The Mahomedans or Moormen are 

 said by Sir A. Johnston to have first settled in the Island in 

 the early part of the Eighth century ; they formed portion of 

 those Arabs of the house of Haslum who were driven from 

 Arabia by the tyranny of the Caliph Abdul Melek Ben 

 Merwen, and who, proceeding southwards, made various settle- 

 ments in the south of India and Malacca. In Ceylon they 

 carried on a very extensive trade in rice, indigo, chanks, cheya, 

 &c; and by making advances to the natives for the purpose 

 of repairing the tanks, were the means of keeping the northern 

 part of the Island in a very prosperous condition. These 

 are the most industrious and mercantile class ; they are the 

 traders, boutique keepers, master fishers, &c, they also deal 

 largely in cattle and are frequent purchasers of Government 

 taxes. They are for the most part confined to the immediate 

 vicinity of the sea; there are, however, Moor villages scattered 

 about the interior, the inhabitants of which are much disliked 

 and feared by the natives. The Moors have mixed up with 

 their own faith many superstitions borrowed from Hindooism. 



Of Malays but few reside in the District, and these are 



VOL. II. H 



