204 Learning and Arts of the Ceylonese, 
they make allowance ■ for Leap-year, and the odd portions of 
time which are not reducible to the regular calculation, is 
by beginning their year a day sooner or later, or in other 
M'ords by adding a day to the former year. The first month 
of the year they name IFasachmahaye, the second , PomahayS, 
and so on; every one ending in the favourite syllable ay 6. Their 
months are, like ours, divided into weeks of seven days. The 
first day of the week which corresponds with our Sunday, they 
call Fridahe, then, Sandudahe, Ongliorudahe , Bodadahd, Bras- 
potindahe, Secouradahe, HenouradaJiL W ednesday and Saturday 
are the days on which they perform their religious ceremonies. 
The day, which is reckoned from sun-rise to sun-set, is divid- 
ed into fifteen hours, and the night into as many, which forms 
a pretty regular division of time, as the length of the day and 
night varies very little in this latitude. 
In their state of society, the exact measurement of time is 
not of particular consequence, and therefore we find them very 
little solicitous about dealing out scrupulously an article of which 
they do not understand the value. It does not appear that, 
before the arrival of Europeans on the island, the Ceylonese 
had contrived even the rudest species of dial. On any parti- 
cular occasion, they employed a vessel with a hole in the bot- 
tom, that let out the water with which it was filled in one 
hour accordinii to their division. This rude instrument was 
sufficient for all their purposes ; and was even seldom employ- 
ed unless at court ceremonials. 
The learning of the Ceylonese consists chiefly in some pre- 
tended skill in astrology. It appears indeed, that they were 
formerly possessed of some literature, as well as of some re- 
fincmen ill the arts. At Adam’s Peak, their principal place of 
