98 
JOJRNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XVIII. 
Mr. Harward said Mr. D. B. Jayatilaka, who was unnble to be 
present, had forwarded some written remarks, but he thought it 
would be hardly regular for him to read the Paper. It was decided 
that the letter should be forwarded to Mr. Bell, who edits the Society's 
Journal, in order that portions of it might be embodied in the Paper as 
published.'"^ 
Mr. E. W. Per ERA said he rather demurred to the introductory 
portion of Mr. de Silva's Paper. There were distinct allusions to the 
drama having existed in early Sinhalese times (vide Mahdioansct, chap. 
X., V. 87). In the history of the 12th century mention was made not 
only of strolling players, but also of theatres and performances 
(Mahdwansa, chap. LXVI., v. 133 ; id., chap. LXXIII., vv. 82 to 86). 
The present day drama (Sin. nadagam), which he took it was derived 
from the Sanskrit (c/. Skt. nataham ; Prakrit nado), as acted in the 
South, was essentially Siinhalese in character. There were other depart- 
ments of Sinhalese drama (ntA;a6/a netima, "marionettes"), in which the 
ordinary avocations of village life were represented, and holan netima, 
comic dances," where masked players imitated the antics of wild 
animals. 
The President : I think the last speaker's remarks are distinctly 
interesting as an addition to the Paper. I am afraid it is not a 
subject that I know anything about, but when Mr. de Silva was 
reading his Paper it struck me as curious that a nation such as the 
Sinhalese should not have had early dramatic poetry. On the other 
hand, I think Mr. de Silva's point that he might almost presume that 
there are no written records of the early dramas is also a curious point. 
In the last speaker's remarks I was struck by his reference to plays 
taking the form of animal shows and representations of the ordinary 
village life. These, of course, are the forms of dramatic performances 
which occur all over the world in the early stages of civilization, and 
we should certainly expect to find them in Ceylon ; and I cannot help 
thinking that a little more research on the part of some Members of 
this Society will find that a clear record has been left of early dramatic 
literature amongst the Sinhalese. 
Mr. Harward said that those who had studied the history of the 
Parakrama period would perhaps incline to the view that there 
undoubtedly was a drama in Ceylon at the period mentioned, but that 
it was a drama performed by Indian performers, and probably in the 
original Sanskrit. He had little doubt that the masterpieces of the 
Sanskrit drama were performed in Ceylon, and, in support of this, he 
pointed to the Sanskrit coinage and the Indian architecture in Ceylon 
at that period. 
Mr. C. M. Fernando said that ten years ago he had read a Paper 
there on Music in Ceylon, and he had promised to read another Paper 
on Sinhalese Music. He had always halted at that point. It was 
difficult to separate what was exclusively Sinhalese from what was 
Indian. It was difficult to say where Indian began and where Sinhalese 
ended. He would not go so far as Mr. Harward and say that the 
old dramatic literature was entirely Indian. It was Indian and 
Ceylon interwoven one with the other. Their life was so bound up 
one with another it was difficult to separate Indian from Ceylon ideas. 
* Published in the Appendix. 
