Ceylon; an Account of the Island | Page 5

quarried by wedges Immense slabs thus prepared
Columns at Anarajapoora Materials for building Mode of constructing
a dagoba Enormous dimensions of these structures Monasteries and
wiharas Palaces Carvings in stone Ubiquity of the honours shown to
goose Delicate outline of Singhalese carvings Temples and their
decorations Cave temples of Ceylon The Alu-wihara Moulding in
plaster Claim of the Singhalese to the invention of oil painting Lacquer
ware of the present day Honey-suckle ornament
CHAP. VIII.
SOCIAL LIFE.
Ancient cities and their organisation Public buildings, hospitals, shops
Anarajapoora, as it appeared in 7th century The description of it by Fa
Hian Carriages and Horses Horses imported from Persia Furniture of
the houses Form of Government.--Revenue The Army and Navy Mode
of recruiting Arms.--Bows Singular mode of drawing the bow with the
foot (note) Civil Justice
CHAP. IX.
SCIENCES.
Education and schools Logic Astronomy and astrology Medicine and
surgery King Buddha-dasa a physician Botany Geometry Lightning
conductors Notice of a remarkable passage in the Mahawanso
CHAP. X.
SINGHALESE LITERATURE.
The Pali language The temples the depositaries of learning
Historiographers employed by the kings Ola books, how prepared A
stile, and the mode of writing Books on plates of metal (note)
Differences between Elu and Singhalese Pali works Grammar Hardy's
list of Singhalese books (note) Pali books all written in verse The
Pittakas The _Jatakas_--resemble the Talmud Pali literature generally
The _Milinda-prasna_ Pali historical books and their character The
Mahawanso Scriptural coincidences in Pali books (note) Sanskrit
works: Principally on science and medicine Elu and Singhalese works:
Low tone of the popular literature Chiefly ballads and metrical essays
Exempt from licentiousness Sacred poems in honour of Hindu gods
General literature of the people
CHAP. XI.
BUDDHISM AND DEMON-WORSHIP.

Buddhism as it exists in Ceylon Which was the more ancient,
Brahmanism or Buddhism Various authorities (note) Buddhism, its
extreme antiquity Its prodigious influence Sought to be identified with
the Druids (note) Buddhism an agent of civilisation Its features in
Ceylon The various forms elsewhere Points that distinguish it from
Brahmanism Buddhist theory of human perfection Its treatment of caste
Its respect for other religions Anecdote, illustrative of (note) Its
cosmogony Its doctrine of "necessity" Transmigration Illustration from
Lucan (note) The priesthood and its attributes Buddhist morals
Prohibition to take life Form of worship Brahmanical corruptions
Failure of Buddhism as a sustaining faith Its moral influence over the
people Demon-worship Trees dedicated to demons (note) Devil priests
and their orgies Ascendency of these superstitions Buddhism as an
obstacle to Christianity Difficulties presented by the morals of
Buddhism Prohibition against taking away life (note)

PART V.
MEDIÆVAL HISTORY.

CHAPTER I
.
CEYLON AS KNOWN TO THE GREEKS AND ROMANS.
First heard of by the companions of Alexander the Great Various
ancient names of Ceylon (note) Early doubts whether it was an island
or a continent Mentioned by Aristotle Alleged mention of Ceylon in the
Samaritan Pentateuch (note) Onesicritus's account Megasthenes'
description Ælian's account borrowed from Megasthenes (note) Ceylon
known to the Phoenicians and to the Egyptians (note) Hippalus
discovers the monsoons Effect of this discovery on Indian trade Pliny's
account of Ceylon Story of Jambulus by Diodoros Siculus (note)
Embassy from Ceylon to Claudius Narrative of Rachias, and its
explanation (note) Lake Megisba, a tank Early intercourse with China
The Veddahs described by Pliny Interval between Pliny and Ptolemy

Ptolemy's account of Ceylon Explanation of his errors Ptolemy
discriminates bays from estuaries (note) v9 Identification of Ptolemy's
names His map His sources of information Agathemerus, Marcianus of
Heraclea Cosmas Indicopleustes Palladius--St. Ambrosius (note) State
of Ceylon when Cosmas wrote Its commerce at that period In the hands
of Arabs and Persians v4 Ceylon as described by Cosmas Story of his
informant Sopater Translation of Cosmas The gems and other
productions of Ceylon--"a gaou" (note) Meaning of the term
"Hyacinth" (note) The great ruby of Ceylon, its history traced (note)
Cosmas corroborated by the Peripius Horses imported from Persia
Export of elephants Note on Sanchoniathon
CHAP. II.
INDIAN, ARABIAN, AND PERSIAN AUTHORITIES.
Absurd errors of the Hindus regarding Ceylon Their dread of Ceylon as
the abode of demons Rise of the Mahometan power Persians and Arabs
trade to India Story in Beladory of the first invasion of India by the
Mahometans (text and note) Character of the Arabian geographers
Their superiority over the Greeks Greek Paradoxical literature A.D. 851.
The two Mahometans Their account of Ceylon Adam's Peak Obsequies
of a king Councils on religion and history Toleration Carmathic
monument at Colombo (note) Galle, the seat of ancient trade Claim of
Mantotte disproved Greek fire (note) "_Kalah_" is Galle The Maharaja
of Zabedj help possession of Galle Evidence of this in the
Garsharsp-Namah Derivation of "Galle" (text and note) Aversion of the
Singhalese to commerce Identification of the modern Veddahs with the
ancient Singhalese Their singular habits,