DECKMDliR i, 1888.] The TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
419 
The Ghaibman: — I feel inclined to say a word, 
though I occupy a position which, unfortunately, 
makes it almost impossible for me to argue in detail 
upon the points raised by the previous speakers. 
Mr. Wall's most able and ingenious paper rests ap- 
parently upon the foundation of an implicit reliance 
upon the details of the Sinhalese chronicles, or at any 
rate upon their general veracity from the date 545 
i;. c, and what wc want is to have some grounds for 
that confidence, other than the very general state- 
ments of the distinguished Tumour that those chroni- 
cles are worthy of credence. I imagine that Tumour 
said that, and that ho said that they were furnished 
with all the evidence by which a history can be 
conformed, not in reference to the earliest part of 
thoso chronicles, but with referenco to them in 
general and with particular reference to their later 
part and to the striking confirmation to which he 
himself had drawn attention from the date 250 b. c. 
From the time of Asoka there is confirmation of 
the Sinhalese chronicles, but I am afraid for the 
£90 years beforo that wc have still to find the 
evidence. The chronicles were written by people, 
say, 1()0 or 500 years a. d. who evidently had access 
to some records — faithful records — running back to 
250 i). c, but there, as far as I am aware, all that 
wo know ends. We have no reason to believe that 
they had anything further, though they may have 
dono so. But a3 to their coloring of the details — 
the amount of gold or jewels, tho number and 
names of tho persons, etc. — those must bo put 
down to tho imagination of the writers of about 
■100 a* d. ; at any rate what is wanted before wo can- 
follow tho reader of the paper into all his con 
elusions is some further ground for believing that 
tho writer of the Dipawansa had access to authentic 
materials for tho sixth century ij. b. I feel bound 
to draw attention to that which seems to me to be 
tho weak point of an ingenious argument which 
unless further established by materials to ho pro- 
duced, seems still to be like founding historical 
conclusions upon the details of romance. When 
wo meet with people who were said to be the 
grandsons of lions and who were like Ulysses and 
Calypso, themselves tho guests of ladies of a 
supernatural race, wo are naturally led to distrust 
tho details of such a story. The strongest point 
which I think Mr. Wall has alleged is the mention 
of a tank comparatively a few years after the time 
assigned to Wijayo but still as that tank is not 
identified it appears to me to be the easier 
curse to suppose that to be entirely ficti- 
tious than to suppose that it is a confirmation 
of tho statements that surround it. No doubt 
as our valued visitor has pointed out Wijayo 
coming from tho North of India was not likely 
to have introdnoed a system of tank irriga- 
tion into this country and if only 10 or 50 years 
after his arrival his successor made a tank it is 
pretty certain that thero was developed a knowledge 
of tho system in this country independent of his 
arrival. That would be a most interesting confirma- 
tion of the degree of civilization that existed if we 
had proof that his statement is historical, and I 
hope that Mr. Wall, in tho next paper, will direct 
our attention especially to the further proofs 
which I nm euro he has upon which he rests his 
confidence that history may bo based upon those 
parts of the Dipaxoanta and Mahawanta. 
Mr. Gxonoi Wall:— My Lord, Ladies and Gen- 
tlemen, I win afraid when I began to read my paper 
that I was already trespassing rather too much 
upon the patience and good naturo of my audience. 
I U.l It been otborwiaol should not havu eontanted 
myself with the proofs or evidences that 1 have 
adduced, but I should have endeavoured to anticipate 
points which will bo brought upon a future occasion 
which show that tho hypothesis which I have 
ventured to propound is not dependent upon mere 
details but upon the substantial facts of history. I 
quite agree with the gentleman who said it was a start- 
ling ono because I felt it so myself and it was not 
until I had seen that it was supported by accumu- 
lative proof that I accepted it. If it had deponded 
upon a single statement here, or a single paren- 
thetical remark there, gleaned painfully from 
small details, I would not have troubled this 
audience with it ; but, having started tho enquiry 
long ago with the belief generally entertained, 
namely, that this country was inhnbited by aborigi- 
nics, and that the period of authentic history was tho 
period of civilization, and that civilization com- 
menced with it — it was not until I found how 
strangely inconsistent that state of affairs wa3 with 
the whole pile of history that confronted me that 
I changed my opinion, whicn was based in part upon 
what the exports and imports, according to 
Tennent, were at the time wc had been alluding to. 
It is with regard to the condition of the island at 
tho time of Wijayo's landing that we must look to 
as the starting point upon which the theory do- 
pends. Now, according to Sir Emerson Tennent — 
page 446 first volume, the only exports were gems, 
pearls and chanks. I have taken the trouble to 
count up all that should be, according to the 
knowledge we now possess, obtained by gems, pearls 
and chanks, and then I set against it what we 
were supposed to have imported — slaves, chariots, 
horses, gold, cloth, frankincense, sandalwood, silk, 
vermilion, woollen cloths, and carpets, gold anel 
silver. He says that the gold which was lavished 
upon the cupolas of theDagobas and which abounded 
in the vessels that wore used must have been im- 
ported as it exists here so scantily. We are said to 
havo also imported the only grain thero was. 
Be it observed that is tho only argument, and I 
can find no other arguments in favor of the theory 
that Ceylon had no grain. It is distinctly stated, 
in so many words, that, not only at tho 
time of Wijayo's landing, but for several centuries 
afterwards ; Agriculture was not known and 
that grain if grown at all was not systemati- 
cally cultivated till several centuries afterwards. 
The only argument in proof of that stupen- 
dous conclusion, so far as I can find, is that the rice 
was obtained from wrecked ships, but whether there 
is any people that ever were kept in food by the 
chance of a precarious advantage of wreckeel vessels, 
I leave this audience to judge. (Laughter.) Tho 
fact of that little parenthetioal observation about 
wrecked ships is quite consistent with tho facts of 
everyday occurrence. I suppose, if a ship laden 
with rice, were wrecked, we should not object to 
using the rice if it were not seriously damaged ; 
but the idea of a population such as I have 
demonstrated should have existed depending upon 
rice from wrecked ships is too absurd. Tho 
other evidence adduced is that in a present that 
was sent from tho neighbouring continent, there were 
a great number of grand things. I can hardly enu- 
merate them all but they were about the greatest 
luxuries you can imngino in your wildest oriental 
imaginations. There were ono hundred and sixty 
cooly loads of— what ? Hill poddy. Now, what 
practical accompaniment would such an item bo 
along with that glorious canopy and golden horses, 
chariots, and that sort of thing. I consider 
it would not have been sent if it was a pre- 
sent of rice in such quantity as would have been 
devoured in a single week. It was hill paddy, and I 
conclude 1i1.it it is a fur more reasonable thing to 
Rtippofle that hill paddy was not generally known in 
tins, country pr generally cultivated, and that, seeing 
hat they \s^rc p.tiufully cultivating the rice that luoy 
