1 838. J Historical Narrative of the Rajahs of Goomsoor. 99 



leads a very bad life, while on account of your regard for your younger 

 brother, you do not check him : if he were sent away out of the coun- 

 try it would be a good thing." The chieftain hereupon called his 

 younger brother, the second in authority, and said to him " if you love 

 me, send away your son Gltana B'honju out of the country." The 

 second in power not wishing to disobey, sent his son into banishment. 

 That Gliana B'honjuwent to Z)7mm-co/a, and received a hospitable 

 welcome from the raja ruling there. Thus D' hamirjaya B^honju, lis- 

 tening to the speech of a woman, sent away his brother's son, though 

 not without some inward compunction : and under the same influence 

 he sent his younger brother himself to attend to some needful affairs' 

 near the person of the JaganacCha raja. Svagi-maha-devi, now had her 

 son invested with the authority before held by the chief's younger 

 brother, and the country was placed under his management. There- 

 upon Svagi-maha-devi, considered that the chief was seventy five years 

 old, having ruled during sixty years, and that if he were put to death, 

 then, her son would come into the complete possession of the chieftain- 

 ship. The chief had always been in the habit of having the cream of 

 milk made into a preparation for his daily food, and it had always been 

 made for him by a Brahman woman named Tolo chomp ananni, who, 

 being tampered with by the said Svagi-maha-devi, and under her in- 

 structions, mingled poison with the said food, and the chief having 

 eaten of it died in the house Svagi. Subsequently this same Hadii- 

 maha-devi, sending for her son Nila-cand'ha B^honju, said to him, " th.e 

 old chief is dead ; go now and put to death the eldest legitimate son 

 and his son also, and then rule the country thyself." Nilorcand^ ha 

 B'honju consenting to her advice, went to the eldest legitimate son, 

 and calling him respectfully, said, " O elder brother, our father is gone 

 to the other world, be pleased to come and take on you the govern- 

 ment." The elder brother afraid fastened the door, and hid himself 

 within, but the other one had the bolt wrested from the door, and en- 

 tering seized on and cut down the legitimate heir. His son Sattrun- 

 jaija hearing of what had occurred, fled for his life from the palace 5 

 but as this was guarded on all the four sides, a wretch saw him trying 

 to escape, and killed him with an arrow. The wife of this Satlrimjaya 

 B^honju, who was named Monda-devi, by divine appointment was 

 pregnant. Svagi-devi pointing her out to her son said " thou hast kill- 

 ed the serpent, leaving the tail in which is venom : if she and her infant 

 are not killed how art thou to reign ?" Nila-cand'ha heard what she 

 said, but instead of killing her, confined her in prison. Nila-cand/ha 



