20 



Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts, 



[July 



ed at for this proceeding; and the merchant fleet put to sea on their 

 return. On the voyage a tempest arose in which great trouble was 

 experienced ; and, after a few days, the people were obliged to put into 

 some port, or to land on some shore, not specified. By reason of de- 

 lay, the fuel on board the other ships was expended ; and the crews 

 now solicited the lad Maralapa to sell his vrattis to them. He replied 

 that he had not brought mere vrattis ; for that inside of them gold-dust 

 was concealed. Being pressed by hunger they urged him to sell the 

 fuel, consenting to seal up one cake and preserve it, and to pay him 

 for all the rest at the rate of its value ; to be ascertained after they 

 should reach home. He consented ; and, the engagement being made, 

 }ie sold his vrattis ; and the purchasers, cooliing their food therewith, 

 rejoiced at this deliverance; praised their preserver, and blamed them- 

 selves for laughing at him, before leaving the island. The sequel was 

 that, on arriving at home, Marat apa was treated worse than he had 

 been by the people of the ships ; but, on bringing the matter to a testy 

 the quantity of gold dust was found equal to many lakhs of money : 

 the people of the town were impoverished, and Vengada master of the 

 slave became enriched, to a very great degree. Vengada, and his 

 wife gave the lad manumission, in the story, mythologically account- 

 ed for. The pair became very proud, in consequence of their great 

 wealth. The god now assumed the guise of a mendicant; and, by a 

 device employed, caused an entire change in the merchant's views. 

 He became endued with what the document terms spiritual folly, under 

 the influence of which he gave away all his wealth to people around; 

 and, abandoning his house, became a half-naked ascetic. On this sub- 

 ject several things in the native taste are added; evidently by way of 

 ornament to the writer's narrative: the sequel is the only thing here 

 claiming notice. The god had promised him beatification at Tiruvarur, 

 He accordingly went thither; and passed his time with the cow-herds 

 at that place. It was his custom to cause them to bury him, by day, 

 Tip to the shoulders, leaving only his neck and head above ground; 

 and then to take him up at night. Regarding him as an idiot, they 

 amused themselves, by striking him on the head and neck. One day, 

 towards evening, all their cows took a sudden alarm, and ran away 

 home to their stalls, the cow-herds following them ; forgetting the half 

 buried ascetic. The next morning, remembering his case, they all 

 ran to the spot, and found his head and shoulders transformed into an 

 emblem of Siva. Perceiviug then the fault they had committed in 

 striking a person identified with the god, they killed themselves on the 

 spot: so at least says the narrative. 



