SPEEIMENS OF

By lours

1.34

SIA:HALESE PROYDIIBS.

nE ZotsA, iVludaliyar.

I'il

l

A complete collection of the proverbs of the country, is ad,esial,eratunt in Si4halese literature. No such collection basever been rnade, either by a Native or European author. I'do not, by this remark, inteud to ignore the existence of suchworks as the Lok6pakd,ri,* Subhi,sitn,! &c., &c., but theseworks contain moral a'd political rnaxims, and 'ot proverbs,strictly so-called. The only native rvork in rvhich a numberof proverbsisfound embodied, is an anonymous little poemby a modern author, entitled Uptiratnamtile.

rt is a curious and interesting fact, that the first writerwho has recordeil any number of Si+halese proverbs, is noother than the first Englishmau who has left us ,rr, u..ooo,,of ceylon. rn captain Robert' Knox's rveil-knorvn anilinterestingwork on Ceylon, tlublished upwards of 2OO y"ursago, he has recorded. a few Si4halese proverbs, of wlricl hegives us not only the translation iu English, but also the:original Sir.rhalese, romanized in his own quaint way. f selecta few specimens, to shew how correctly he has translatecl ,

them, and also to exhibit his peculiar moile of tra'sliter.ation.ri

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,, IIi,ri,s dilalt ,ingurah gotta. .. f havb given pepper, andgot ginger.'-Spoken when a rnan makes a bad

'"*"1_"S;,

and they use it in reference to the l)utcrr uo..""ding'tlrcPortuguese in that island."

r,"+y,ti:':i"F:j,:;ftl:::;:,{i,Fi_,:-ru,:, j:,:il&.*,tf l'.j.,H'.jiPandita.Paratrarirabah u, a. o. I 262_i3d0.rr uv rrw ur I

f A rvell-known Sinhalese poet, lrlio floulished irr the LreginninS,oI tlre scverteent' cenruir., tt o JuHii, "f k))r),j,ii';1", f.i,tttl sntrlifi, tii.

135

" ' Dattcl hon'alatndrli peri,ruI ,i Pi"k your t'eeth to fillyour belly.'-Spoken of stingy, niggarilly people.l'

"' Eingo'nna ucllenclnm c'or cottonzua,t gea,h par atardnndaa. A beggar and a trader.capnot be lost.'-Because theynever out of theii way."' '\:" ' IsstLra at{,ing bolland,ww pos cotti,ng. First look in the

afterrvard.s open the pesifu;'-gpoken of a judge rvho firstust have a bribe, before he will pronounce on their side.' ',

The next writer who has recordecl a few Si4haiese pro-verbs is the Revd. Samuel Lambrick, who in his Yocabulary

the Si4halese language, ha.s published fifteen Si4haleseverbs with their translation, and,explanatory remarks.

The late Sir J. Emerson Tennent has also published aboutirty€igrhalese proverbs in his wqrk entitled l,Christianity in

lon," published in 1851, b.ut they n'ere selected by him outrny ownlfS. collection, which had been placecl at his disposal.

, In 1868, Mendis Mudaliyar of Morotuwa, the rvell-compiler of the list of Timber irees of Ceylou, publish-

an interesting coilection of Siqrhalese proverbs, about 300number. ll}ris little rvork appear.s to have been highly

iated by the natiie reading public, as aII the copiesbeen sold, anil the work is now out of print. I am not

of any other writer upon the same sirbject.*I commenced collecting Sir.rhalese proverbs many yearsand rny collection norv arnounts to nearly 809 ii havingntly received considerable accessions from seyeral parts

the island, both in the Kandyan and low-country, throughkindness of various friends.f have much pleasure in layiug before the Society a fervmeus of these, as a first instalment, and hope they may

Since. the above was u,ritten, a few Sighalese proverbs have been published inat penodical, thc . Ceylon Friend.' v, Nos., forDeccmber 1870, and January rtiT r.

137

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2. 6eJinrd eorE eOejjt'lt

4. [3dSosJ e.e] OCeOrOcrj

r .=.5;:n€rje oOlerJOeJA i'd,rz"qe,:eJ g'qOsJOoj Ot

6. as:OOlQcscO QOd

7. os:r6ocrJ ryOOroo:erJb dor qerreJO cBcocOorctj

8. cs:oro:eJer96@6eorOGlsrraJl qrerJo:cOocd

9. tflcsoc.:rcrjorelerj a)ele-JOerOOerJ cll31 5rE53f orOerJ

.ls:olijeoi'ou8ooeoor

t0. -goeqeqJonJ 6-:.EoolrdSoaerje 6etJ

1l qcOoiO o.ncOoOOc61-ngrOoo-J

136

not be found altogether devoid. of interest. They throrv con.

siderable light on the history, manners, ancl customs of the

people amongst whom they are cufrent, and r,vhile they serve as

exponents of their feelings and 'sentiments, they also afford ,aclear irrsight into their national character.

As I do not consider myseif competent to translate these

proverbs iu that terse anil epigrammoiic style in which theyshould be renilered, I have only .endeavoured to make thetranslation as faithful as I can, leaving it to others to clothethem in more suitable English. I have, in addition, appended

a few brief explariatory .notes, wherever the application of theproverb is not apparsnt:; and also ailded the stoties on which-sorne of them are foundeil

L. nn ZovsL.

il. 6c.&gr Oen9as:cd 'The Ldli,* that has escaped'is'the -bigger one.'A men is apt to magnify the

value of anything that he hasnot obtained.

'Thereis no smoke withouta fire.'

l'herc is no rumour, howeverfalse, without some slight foun-dation of fact, or supposed.{act.

'Like a line described on'water.'

ft leaves no impression onthe water: applied to a thank-less insrate.' 'Lit<J;the mad woman's basketof herbs.'

A writing abounding in in-congruous, or heterogeneou$matter.

3. Qoc^i ryzedq g6OcocsJ

I The narne of * fish.

' Cannot tlrink as it is hot,and calnot throrv awaY as it is1(anii.'

AL unnleasant dilemma.I'he idie ntan has divine eYes

(eift of prophecY.) -'" He forebodei,'and magnifies

diffrculties in the execution ofany rvork, which are not Patentto others.

'Like going to consult thethief's moth"i (as an oracle.)

When a theft is committed,it is usual to consult a Kaptu'e" dln, (d,emonls Priest), ot Patti-nihtitii (priestcss), as to whocommitted the theft, antl theY

nretend to know the thief bY

the inspiration of their favoritedemon. The oPinion of aninteresteil party.' Like au bx goring a man that

has falleu from a tree.'Calamity upon calamitY''The tree ivhich You could

have nipped off rvibh Your nail,vou cooii not (afterrvards) cuthith your axe.'

Evilslvhich one could have

easilv checkeil in the begin-ning, bec<lme insurmountable ifallJwed to exist long.

'You can judge of the Si'nn6*bv his hat""'Lik" changing the Pillowwhen' suffering froPo head-ache"

An inefectual remedY'

* A tenn :rppliedgrcso Bcnho;-.

to a Iluropean descendant, corrupted from Portt-

I,l'

^12. oer€.?)]g6qj etrrn'd-J

El doerJ"roN cfi @ gogoj

ffr5) gel tsq6.q

138

' Eveu iri the coast of $olt,tbere arc starving t,,"t,, uodeyen in Gilimale tlcre arewhite-teethed men.'

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14. Sa: err66rart-?rj O,O6:zQOcO 6.990 e.Fz<aCoO6J9J

15. Ozlqal 'd66-,Or O{e6 orodgr orOrs:Or

The coast of Soli is Chdla)mandctkr,, or Coromandel coast,and the proierb shews thaieven in ancient times it wasconsider_ed'a land abounding iuc_or3. Gilim,ale is a viliagt inS alara g amuua, which *ul e-,rnarkable for the quantity ofbetel leaves it produced. "Theexpression,Luhite-teetltetZ, is an-plied to a man rvho abstaiisfrom chewing betel.

'Murdering with eold water.,_ A_ttempting to irr.iure a manby 4eceit and plausible words.

i$,;r

- t'When one 'bullock breaks

the fence, the rvhole herd willenter.'

When one individual of afamily, class, or nation. comesinto a place, others of his classrvill soon follorv.

_ -t H"' murders saiuts, butdrinks water after straininE.'. 'l'o strain at a gnat, and s"wal- '

lorv a camel.The Buddhist devotees are

e'rjoined not to drink waterrvithout straining, to pr"oenithe destruction of anirualculein it.

, ' Like seeking for eotton in anouse rvhele iron had beenburnt.'

16._ ccarOgg 6.o:3 ge€tJoccOOlOlocsJ'"

17, erSs6cr 6-b-rjoc'OO.rOorJ

18. d:5.llr8cs cerdq8-a\

19. q6rOerJetr€tJo(rr8 .AesJ6]\6);8€'JS ?

20. crr3rqe <s:6rq? O€sJr5J oOCocB cfqe O€qcs)i;:etja,t <tj 6',OCa'€,b

130

__'Like the Portugtrese goingtoI(btte.'

Applied to aIong and circuitous,path. It is said that shortly af-ter the Poltuguese had landed a.tColombo, tLrey were coniluctedto l(dtte, then the capit rl of theKings of Ceylon, by-a Iong andcircuitous road, through Pfna:dure, andRaygam Kbrale, rvitha r,iew to conceal frorn the nenicorners the close pr-oximity ofthe capital frorn the sea.port ofColombo, v'hich rvas tben thehead-quarters of bhe Portuguese.

' I(ing's business (rirjakiiriya )is greater than God's business,(Deyyann6 kdriya.)'

- ' I[ow cd,u you expect to findfowls in a house whei'e they eatchildreu,'

( F[e is a.fool lvho borvs dorvn,whilst he is beaten, and he isa fool rvho beats rvhilst he isbowed to,'

\Yhen tbe deei trespass onbis field, he comes home andbeats the deer"s skin.

'l\rhen a man is unable tcpunishthe realoffender', he oftenlvreaks his 'r'engeance on somepoor unoffending person.

oLikethe ehastity of the ugly'$Yoman.t

'IVhat is the use of rvhitecattle fol Paduwas, (a lorvcaste so-called.)'

Throrving pearls bcfores$'rne,

2I $o'OJ o.:,tto.,6J .er:1OrOef rEeJ pO o:0O trre{tr

22'^ ff6r-e:rUOtosJ23 oee€rjo5.3si

e$o.sJ e6Q

o,OrOg gg

140

21 oat:l€rj<btlgJ€tj.rfdo<r:rof9 .6j @.4e,rr 6<tJ06€6JococeBerj OC5) Oa6r.6O

25 O.8e.O -eie96:t6C:D6lor"r. gdAoJerd O.8oiq<iJ arr- --

_ 26 omiegd$o6|88oJSstOr

'The man who had slvorn 6e

'rvill never go to l(okkd,nan@€o epelcorgl cflbfrer{ .r:s-lOr

141

One pats on the head, topluck out the eyes.

Employing arts of flatterY towork one's tuin'

Even kanji (rice water'gruel) is bad in common.

Like the kanji of the sevenA/ncliy6s.

The story is that seven .Vn-{iy6s (Mahommadan fakeers),wh en travelling together, agreedto prepare a pot of kanji in

"o*'*oit, each iontributiug his

ouota of rice. The first manrihor" turn it was 'to put hisportion of rice into the Pot,thought that as there were sixmore partners to contributerice, his own share would notbe rpisseil, and so, putting hishand into the pot, Pretendedto throw in rice. Anil it sohaooened that each ofthe othersdcievotees thought so too, andacteclprecisely in the same waJr,an<I theresult of course was arrempty pot, to their inexPressi-ble chagtin and ilisaPpointment.

Like Saturn falling into thebag of the beggar.

l\fiqforiunes never come

singly.It- " man's fire'Place is

strong, he will have manY re-

lations.A man will not want rela-

tions ana friends as long as he

can entertain them'Haste (is) slow,l,ike the Latin Proverb festina'

l-"nte,

gal-a,ll r.vent _there seven times,and died on hisr.vay to it.'

Expressive of fi ikleness ;zs oraoqf aqqtd o6a]8

coming.'

- Appheri. to denote a veryIarge multitude.

'I'his is a I'ery interestirghistorical . pron"rb, which haifloated dorvn the stream of time.ft must have no doubb origi-nated at a period when it riasusual for iwarms of Solians

inconstancv in nren.

_ '\Vhenii is inrpossible, uoth.ing is possible 1. when it is possi.ble, nothing ii impossible.

'Thc whole SSlanantlul,tr, i

,30 q6 olerJogenrooJq Oocrj

deoaJdrco,ctJ o8oo5OlQocOrocrJ

@oor8cq1oftrrO6ric6tdcPr6-j

2V @os +eJO6 ogOg @Ooojro6ejosJ erJt

(Tamils from the neiqhbourinscontinent)_to invade deylon, oihosts of barbarians frbsr theNorth similarly inlacled. Bri-tain in ancient iimes.. 'f don't understand that

Andara, and that Tamil.,. Applied to an unintelligiblejargon.'

This is also a historical pro-verb, nhich has come dow'n tous from very remote times. Theword tlndara, rvhich I havep,o dguUt_ is d, corruption ofthe Sarskrit Andhra ianotherterm for Telegu) is not' knownat present to any native, except

.perhaps to learned scbolais,and the proverb tberefore musi .

have originated at a time rvbenthat rvord tyas cornmonly.knorvn.

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34 eprdCod oOtr:O O

":r. g99o

35 qes'JOtnO o.ai:r6doroOcrj qo:qO6JO O.8@

.36 o:oC Oge, OrocrJ37 errenrO ggQtn Or€

Omjarc Ooro'J

38 . o@Oro,d gq6J {39oc6J 6t€DU3

39 $ecqt@errO en6elcScoOed oo:cq8, 40 O6fgc.arcqg orelca-r'1OcO 6oroJ drcQ.e- OO erretlaltrrOrg

4t d,fl goerJ<p Qen@*3srrc+ctrd ^E6z^OgO ocrJ<2u16(5)6JO 6cocd

4,2. {tJ6tec Orec6clcOcGIgJ

43. elr6cocO @a:1orOroOlg ? 8or orOc<r:Ocg ?-

44.' 8OO tnora cprdOAulr 8al Er.d @eflocoisrerj dared g6idOcd

4s. <fiar:erj sOeo Ocri?ro" $6@or6i @;.6t&te,6r6t

The swelling must beportionate to the size offinger.

The ambition of men shnot exceed their abilities.'When in a hurry, onenot put his hand even rnmouth of a Ksrahq,.

A I(oraha is a wiile-mouearthen jar.

Like sovrinq on a rock.Like a flei caught in the

fingers of a blind rnJn.

.Caught steadily and firmlywithout any chunce of escape.'

Even -in the llwdyas, titereare peoplewho eatwithout salt.

To be a headlman iser-en in hell.

If a dos bite yourwould yo.u bite his ? "

They sa)-when a manbeard wason fire, another

1t

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to \ght his cigar.

_ l,ike the Nioyd (Cobra) andPolnnga.

"d:*o associates equally w

I\rhat does an old manancl what does he not want

The man whohad nineof paddy, asked the -uo *li'ohad one,_ to givc it also to him,to complete the ten.

How much more will tgrand-father rvho is alrveeping for nothing,n'hen his grand-son dies.

l+3

46. ep,8{g os gs:#O8rBdiQocs Od sr.rO8

47, ooJOql<5gr O6)aoJerJO Sor

The lbot of the traveller isll'orth a thousand of the rnanlvho remains at home who is

-not worth a dog.

Don't allow an animal togo, aud then catch his tail.

The rat who was returninghorne drunk with toddy. said,if I meet a cat, I will tedr himto pieces.

The house in which youdnnk lwnji,, is better than ihehouse in which you starve.

48. 68g:SerOccc 0ggrD Q or eo rcrJo q 6) O 6r Oq.qot

49. <fl.rterJ ged€tr orcoO)r oouq8 a)rE oAJetJ cr6J

54. orcorOd,S OoorOin661Ocarro:@ coOclorO:

55. cDr-qleJ oOJoO,Bgoor$oSo6S

50 _ a:oJgesJ rf ,5 iretJq Although the chetah goesO cBccrO f8:ccsrJ 6jttJOr from one hill to another, willrjg he change his spots ?

51. ct,{eirtD€ri ctJ3f 5J.trJOt:es: o'5l9Qcs18 ?

52, ctril eerj<o @6cDiOb)r e $r$re l' slerJorerJep r- I ?

53. co5$o5cor6J olEcor o:eJO gldOeJg ?

IMhen you .throw sevenstones, will not one at least hit .t

Why pluck anil shew leavesto a man who knows the tree.

It is useless to attempt todeceive by plausible reasoning,a rnan who has a thoroughknowledge of his subject.

Can one transform a youngrat snake into a cobra? .

Dried cow-dunq floats on thesurface, attd tefitrud,nd,gal (akind of white stone, guartz)sinks below.

Unrvorthy rnen succeed inlife, while men of merit remainin the back-ground.

'Women increase, the water-pots become empty.

It is the business of womento draw rvater. and rvhen thereale to8-many in a house, theyare too apt to neglect the duty.

1,14

56. 6rtr:r'6 OeocfieJorsJdsgor OddedoeJ

57: cnoeoerj s)atrO 6csSgOc oo':@ grdtrrOcO

58. aoo<dcJ3Cg @6encO8@oO qcrJcr:6cO8

59. OdoeoJ6OO s:rgdzoorrOJ egg6. cslg 6:1€'J0cserjO @eor.

60. oe oocqolOOg eoqerj oeorq- 61. Oeo qt6QcxlcocJ q6$qeog gcoo8.

?he bullock smarts fthe pain of his wound, andcrow from greediness for fl

The allus-ion is to the crattacking the wounds of brlocks. for the purpose of pickiout the flesh.

Menof me'an mindsendeato take advantage ofothers'fortunes for thdir own benefi

It is said that the moirk,who went from tree to tree w

pound."

sufferfrom exposure, and periTo the maln who' .*uilo*

the temple, the image is li}an aggaln,(aball of sweetmeat

One who has committed a

ast 6f- great wickedness, willscruple to commit one ofmagnitude;If one personatesadoo- hcrrIf one personatesadog, hemus

go whereverhe is whistled for." fl--for a penny, in for

The griniling-stone mustgood, for the sandal to be gor

Like the advice of the\mse man.

This hasreference to the

to take his advice on theIfe came, and after muchberation, declared that thecourse he could" suEgest wascut offthe neck of iL-e brril, ,

f4-l

il. a:O6g oarrOse}, Og9rOgcg

6g. orocdOcO 6 tscseJ

\Yill the bear who slightedlhe garnard,kr (the village head-man) regard me ?

Like singing to a cleaf man.

Like throwing strarv into aburning fire.

Like searching for mellum(a medicine applied in cases olfalls from trees) before a lnanfalls from a tree.

Like placing a man who hasbeen burnt inthe broiling sun.

The man who has received abeating firom a fire-brand, runsarvay when he sees. a fire-flY.

Even teachers commit blun-ders in letters (in reading andwriting).

" Good l[omer nods."Like cutting fenbe sticks

into the river.'W-aste of labour.

64. cBerJq6O 396r gOerJ

65. ctr66retJ OloOerJOgrJt OrCdO oeorcoa:errrOrod

06" derJorenerJ Q'r. @Z3s:coo6dOc gcocrj

67. 6€6 oeto\rtrCoeojrOO 6t @Z3src ;:renc-dzQoc gQOcO gOer:8c6

q8. c€CzeJOttJ epeQdz Od

.69. 6rc)O: 96 "t:1E1Oc Orc\crj , '

' V0. crret<rJ cogOcg Even a Rodiyri will throwo6$cocrj coo: a, stone at you if you throw one

at him'71. 6r6\cd OrgorO oo6 \Mhen a man falls into a

6c oOcoJO Ot-'" river; he cannot strain water for, drinking.

72. g)0S anelcO ol3 Conversation iu travellingOcod " i. like a ladder (in climbing)'t ?3. ocoosJr cieo g)rE From the way in which a9.8erJ 6\asc8c0c am8g 6coc bullock .TulF,:'.

y?" :11.YI- ' whether it will be devoured bY6cstir16 -

' the Chetah'j From the out*Vard tlemeanour

' of a man, You can guess whe-ther he is a harmless or a

vicious man'thenbreak thepot and removei

lri I

j '{illlr

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^ 74. 3sJ Er,rJ<rre 66tO@gLosJ enoO ecrJ c:.sq7"tlOrO

It is s,id that the teeththe dog which barks at a Iinan will fall out

It is useless to lesistrvho are.favoreil by fortune.75._ 896r o,"c:id ?O"] . Stealit sr;u*'(p,iriir$

?*rg?98_ ?aC, o:;:r5 rhefr, a;d stealing. ei";.l)vJO-J orsirrJ.ttO8 (tuitluru,) is theft.The above is fouuded on

following story.

^ A devotee (a1ruwi) whofessed great'sanctity of iisought the acquaintance o"9ygn. r-ne acquarntance ofnch. man, and having livein his_house for a {e,w days diparted on his journe.y. n"ut"rirng shortly afterwards, he restcrcd_ to ttre orvner of the housr1 pjece of strawwhich had stuin his clotted hair from the,r9j thg. bouse,- observing ih" stealing a piece of stiw istheft equilly *itt srunti;"di,

. moqd'." HavingT6usgain"ecl th

r""fi:*r"ll "mi,tx*JS src 6o115 $,66e,r

:,.1?,t: ]xi;':llil; eT*"";

the man who stdle ttrePuppkin, frorn his shoulder.. The white urty *"U.lu"J" ,

tbe gourd sticks on his shoul?2. o6g: ,geo.,^ ^ .D ders,- whilst carrying-it.

o-'osgbTSi"i''-'o 96 ,..1:t: placing u ti'aa.. to;umprngmonkey.mprng monkey.

Aflording faciiities ro a vici?8 8600 .5rod

oOerjoterJtrrr_ v

79 cg?rd coroOdo6loJ cnedo)6J

man.c)6re - A full pot ofwaterdoes

shake.

OO It is to a fruitful tree thaieven the bats have recourse to.

1't7

84. IBOO or$a:-J,6cer gQO 8e9oJ d,pg oca-rOcd-85. areede ?0z6z0r

6r€tJcco€tJ{' oa :rl5.rOrOql

l. 6Jcoc @'rrj co66recgarerJorerJenl

2. 2g615 Qo:c:O OerlE,3 El6re s:tr:v1eeO

83. €rJrrc trJr<t:<tJ kl@d

lVhy inquire of tlrc road toa place to which you do notintend to go.

The Cobra listens to tlrevoice ofthe charmer, but not therat Snake,

Better rvidowhood, to rrhichone is accustomed, than &strange marriage.

A certain advantage is prefer-able to a doubtful oi'e.

Even though there is nocobra in it, one is afraid of thewhite ants' hill.

Even the gbat offers his beard,wlren he sees a-poor barber.

Not that you cannot dance,but that the ground is crooked !

Used when a man makes.apretended excuse, concealing'theteal cause of his failure.

Don't awakesleeping chetahs.

Is the poison less, becausethe snake is small ?

Dven when a dancer misseshis step, it is a summersault.

When the rat-snake sawtheCobra expanding his hood,he took up in his mouth abroken piece of an earthen pot.

Mimicking the great.Don't speak in Tamil with

which you are not acquaint-ed, andbring disgraceon yourfamily.

Don't trust a short man,nor a low white ants' hill.

Cunning is considered the cha-racteristic of a man of lorvstature.

87.

88.

6OglgOc

*ffo-- Qsed caQd

encocg8OcO E* qaq

eoaOQgc OlQsr<rJ

89. €rJ€c 6\3oerjel6enOr9cO cs:56mr .n1O@Ear'1,erJ q1o:<rJell6

90. orstcqedeoc 6\qOeOocc,3erj Oe'6g.J €rr5)s)Jo

9l ^@S@eflsrciJ @E gO(rj 8s€cio o:dejO 8or

Trike eftracting the s.rvectof a flower rvithout bruising it.

Like rtabbing a man, iftekilling him.

148

92. Og oor5l 6\tl)J5)6oderjslerjtrJr OLornj

93.. g_5er I sro)etJ gredr:rOcorJ

^ 9a.^ €p'el Oe- oCe6ddcOgerJod q.8

95. o600 edeo,J oOosrcrJ allOc Ocord

96.. gogerJat er:tp6 q1ttJ.g€rJ€D en'tcscOOOr @otJq8

97 ores'J6OcO @EerJ orOcerja:,3 or Or d erj oOces"Jar8

9_8. .r:O@glOooral ocoOg{dtr:1Or Ottrer eerjenrcJr6 O{ri co erjoerjdr z o"64 o O

99. 0orO OrO OOcBeB

toO. .crOc6gooj cor@6qencoedO 01 '

tokka (a. knoek on the headthere, and one tohlco here

'A Rabq,l,lawri having enteinto the cave of a Porcup.said " I wont go, by my grandfather" "

You cannot kuow the depth,when the water is muildy.

149

or 0EBTAIN DocuunNrs, Fturrr ANo Ihsrontc,rr,, r'ounn

M- Naucr,ms

Coonr or'nr tug PosspssloN oF rsn DsscqxoaNTs ol

pr Iintnnor,r,e, FnnncE EuvoY ro rsnol KenoY.

Contributed by L. Luoovrcr, Esq.

The clocuments, of which the following aro translltions' Yvers

with by mo, in tho courso of a visit to llangwela, in tho pos-

ion of the iloscenalants of M. Nanclare ds Lanorolle, X'rench

'oy to the Court of Kantly in 1685. Tho Sinhaleso originals

writton on Ola, anil the Dutch on pa,por. So far as can be

by hisborioal ancl traditionary oviclence, thoro is hardly any

t that the presont Lanerolles ofllangwola ars the liuoal

oftho X'rench Envoy,but there is nothing in physique,

or costumo, to distinguioh them from tho surrounding

oxcept porhaps the fairer complexion common to evory

of tho family. Thoy protoss to be Christians of tho Re-

Church ; ancl one of their immediato ancestorg appears to

helil tho ofrcoof Saper ema,rlo Appw or Commissioner,uniler the

Government. A eollateral branch of the family, I uuclor-

is settled at Katolirwe in tho Galle district' The amusing

of the lato Mr. II. E. O'Grady to a potition present'ecl by

of tho family, praying for official rank on tho strength

his tlescent, will be found extractecl from lho Enami4gr Newg'

of the 28th October, 1869, in the appendk'Tho ottrer letters, relating to the siego of Vienua, &c,, wero

probably intercoptocl at Trincoma,lee by ',he emissaries of

a Singha, on their way from lfoilancl fo the Dutch Governor0olombo, antl translatecl into Siihalese for his informationoue of tho many tt eaptives" detained by him at Kandy. Thesei

td carry on their face evory marl< of genuineness, while

.x

The enemyis preferable toat a distance.

living neara relative liv

The tale-bearer receives o