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JUNE, 1876.)
CORRESPONDENCE AND MISCELLANEA.
189
"a snake's expanded hood," and in support of Government with a complete catalogue of the this meaning the learned lexicographer refers the library. At two important monasteries known to Teader to Panchatantra 53, 6. Bhavabhati also possess wealthy libraries only a few common books uses the word in the same sense in his Nandi to
were produced, and the Government representathe Malati Madhava (sloka 1, line 2),
tive was informed that there were 10 others. त्रासाबासापरन् विशति फणिपतौ भोगसङ्कोचभाजि, On the other hand, at Mulgirigal temple, from where, according to the celebrated commentator
which Thrnour obtained his famous MS. of the Jagaddhara, the word may mean either the body
commentary on the Mahavando, the priost in charge of a snake or its hood, in support of which he quotes
"was exceedingly civil and frank, and socmed un authority from Vishva Koka, which is this:
highly to appreciate the object of Government in भोगः सुखे स्त्र्यादिरतावहेच फणकाययो:
wishing to preserve the manuscripts of Ceylon." The interpretation which I propose above exact
At a temple near Tangalle the librarian not only ly corresponds to the popular tradition indis
produced all his books, but helped the Mudliar to olubly associated with Malharrao Holkar's name,
make a catalogue of them. At the Ridi Vibâra, or and running thus:
"Silver Abbey," the manuscripts, somo of which Once upon a time as the shepherd-boy Malhari
were of extraordinary beauty, were preserved in a was tending his flock of sheep, he fell asleep
large box curiously painted and set with precions at noon. A serpent seeing the future king of
stones, and from the depths of this box the monks MAlwå suffer from the scorching rays of the sun,
produced "with some prido" a copy of the first immediately crawled out of its hole and expanded
volume of Professor Childers's "Pali Dictionary"! its hood over the face of the boy, thereby foresha
At Madawela it turned out that a once magnifi. dowing his future greatness.
cent library had been destroyed by the British The above tradition has also been referred to by
troops in the Kandyan rebellion of 1818. At Major-General Sir John Malcolm, in his Memoir of
1 Tissawa the monk ruefully exhibited "a heap of Central India, chapter VI., on the Holkar family.
fragments of books, of which nothing could be In the interpretation which Mr. Tallu puts
mado, said to have been destroyed by the white upon the compound it is necessary to get the
ants." It is reassuring to hear that they also word 'white' from without. Besides, I am not sure
possessed "a good collection of valuable manu. that the word it means the skin of a snake.'
scripts." Mr. de Zoyza-who, it mus bo remem. Allow me, as I conclude, to thank Mr. Tullu for
bered, is a Simhalese, though, like many of his the service he has reudered to the antiquities of
countrymen, bearing a European name-appears to Mahesvara by visiting them personally and com
have carried out the task entrusted to him with mitting to paper his remarks thereon, thereby
tact and energy, and his report is interesting attracting the attention of the antiquarian to the
reading. The results of his mission are not in. famous city of the great Sahasrarjuna in times of
considerable. Some seventy or eighty rare or yore, and of the venerable Ahalyábai in modern
unknown MSS. were examined, many of which times !
are likely to be of much historical and philological April 13th, 1876.
value. Probably the greatest "trouvaillo" is a
copy of a Sinhalese gloss on the Dhammapada, BUDDHIST MANUSCRIPTS IN CEYLON. which, with the exception of the rock inscription The Ceylon Government has just published a re- at Mahintale, is now the oldest known specimen port by the Chief Translator, Louis de Zoyza Mud- of Sinhalese prose. It is to be hoped that the liar, on four official visits paid by him to the temple Ceylon Government will order the publication of libraries in Ceylon for the purpose of estimating this unique work, which, apart from its literary the value of the literary treasures of the island. The value, may be expected to throw much light on Mudliar, though a Christian, met on the whole the growth and history of the bimbalese language. with a very favourable reception from the heads Incidentally he gives some ir:teresting archæolo. of the various Buddhist monasteries, though we gical notes, and he describes his discovery of regret that in three or four instances he appears Beveral rock inscriptions, one of which has enabled to have been received with a good deal of mistrust, him to correct an error of thirteen years in Turthe monks evidently suspecting Government of nour's "Chronology of the later Simhalese Kings." some design upon their collections. Thus at -Pall Mall Gazette. Galkanda monastery, the librarian, an exceedingly learned Buddhist priest, "politely refused" to DR. GOLDSCHMIDT'S REPORT ON THE allow the Mudliar to inspect the books under bis
CEYLON INSCRIPTIONS. charge, on the plea (which, however, appears to The following is the text of Dr. Goldschmidt's be a just one) that he had already furnished Report on the Inscriptions in the North-Central
B.
