388 
JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [YOL. XVIII. 
TWO OLD SINHALESE SWORDS. 
By C. M. Fernando, M.A., LL.M. (Cantab.). 
The two swords which form the subject of this Paper 
were shown to Mr. H. C. P. Bell, when he was resident in 
Oolombo about twenty years ago. 
Hearing that they were in my possession he suggested 
that a " Note " on them would likely to be of interest to the 
Asiatic Society. 
The swords came from the possession of the late Chevalier 
Jusey de Silva, who held them as family heirlooms. 
On his death the swords passed into the hands of his only 
daughter. Lady de Soysa, from whom I received them. 
The members of his family have always used the honorific 
names appearing on the swords, and claim to be descendants 
of the grantees. The names Aditya Arasa Nilayitta (which 
mean " belonging to the race of the sun") have also been used 
from time immemorial by the members of the family whose 
present head is Mudaliyar Ambrosius de Rowel of Pitigal 
Korale South. They claim to be descendants of the chiefs 
of a military colony from Jeypore* 
The Dutch Act of Appointment dated the 20th January, 
1765, appointing the great grandfather of the present 
Mudaliyar to the office of Mudaliyar over Alutkiiru Korale 
describes him as "Anthony Rowell Waranakula Aditta 
Wirasuriya Arasa Nilayitta." 
Both these swords bear on them marks of undoubted 
antiquity. The characters are archaic ; the style and language 
are similar to those of other documents of the time. As 
inscribed swords of honour granted to distinguished generals 
five centuries ago they furnish unique memorials of the 
past history of our Island. 
I am indebted to Simon de Silva, Mudaliyar, Chief Trans- 
lator to the Government, for the decipherment of the inscrip- 
tions on the two swords, and the translations. 
