414 
JOURNAL, K.A.S. CEYLON. 
[YOL. XVIII. 
by no means generally well known, and often only a few verses 
can be sung. It is chanted line by line by some old man who 
knows it well, and repeated after him in chorus by the men 
at work, while the paddy is being trodden out. The effect 
of the whole scene on a bright moonlight night is very 
impressive. It is difficult to set down the notes on which 
the words are intoned or chanted, as unless a man is a good 
singer he does not keep constantly to the same air ; and the 
members of the chorus often sing together in several 
different keys at once. Nevertheless the effect is good. The 
following is, with many variations, one of the airs to which 
the words are sung : — 
Mudune ya - ira goii ra - ju - ne 
There are a number of euphemistic terms of the usual 
character employed, e.g.^ (3cs>sd93, to cut. There are also many 
technical agricultural terms. The song must be a very 
ancient one, and is handed down by word of mouth ; so far 
as I know it has never yet been printed. 
I give also seven charms that are used to protect the grain 
from various injuries or to promote its general growth. 
One of the charms (No. 8) is referred to in verse 5 of the 
hamat-hella. 
Finally there is briefly described a " fire-walking cere- 
mony," intended to promote the general welfare of the village 
as well as the abundance of crops. This is, however, less 
directly connected with the cultivation. 
The words of the kamat-hella are given, with some 
corrections in spelling,* as written down for me by an old 
man at Niriella, about five miles from Ratnapura, this year. 
It is sung while threshing is going on, but not, of course- 
continuously the whole time. At the conclusion all the 
cultivators shout dndu dndu (?) and heri lieri. 
* For these I am indebted to Mudaliyar J. D, Abeg-oonewardene and 
Mudaliyar A. Mendis Gunasekara. 
