District of Chilaw and Putlam, 51 



of Chilaw. They intermarry with each other and with 

 Tamul Christians, but keep a good deal apart from the other 

 inhabitants. In general appearance they somewhat resemble 

 Moormen. At one time they formed a very influential body 

 and possessed large tracts of land; but being almost without 

 exception addicted to drinking, they have now sunk very 

 much in the social scale. The Mookwa headmen are termed Ra- 

 jawannia,, and Koomahrewannia respectively, and by an ancient 

 custom these titles ought to be descend, not from father to son, 

 but from uncle to nephew. To describe the origin of this 

 strange practice would occupy more time then can at present 

 be afforded, I therefore omit it. 



I have thus endeavoured to give a description of this Dis- 

 trict. There is nothing of particular interest, but the recording 

 of such statistics is often useful at a future period, which 

 must plead my apology for laying so dry a paper before the 

 Society. 



Mock Inscription at Gooroo Godde Wihare in the Magool Korle, 



Seven Korles. By A. O. Brodie, Esq. 



On a late official tour through my District and through a 

 part of Seven Korles, in company with the Government Agent 

 of this Province, we visited the Vihare of Gooroo Godde 

 at Giri Bawe in Magool Korle, about twenty-five miles 

 south of Anooradhapoora. This is one of the so-called rock 

 temples, which are abundantly scattered over the country. 

 The dwelling for the priests is as usual considerably elevated, 

 being built on a projecting knoll, and is in the form of a 

 square enclosing a small open and sunken court, in which 

 on each successive morning the village women stand, while 

 one of the priests, concealed behind a curtain, reads aloud 

 portions of the sacred books. The temple itself is on a 

 higher platform, and is formed by running up a wall at the 

 front part of a wide shallow cave formed by a huge over- 



