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CONTENTS. 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Golden Age of Lanka 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The Journey to Anuradhapura . 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Mihintale : The Cradle of Buddhism in Ceylon . 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The City of Anuradhapura 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Rock Fortress of Sigiri . 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Lake of Minneria .... 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The City of Polonnaruwa 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 TAGE 
 
 1-9 
 
 10-23 
 
 24-36 
 
 37-92 
 
 93- TOO 
 
 . IOI-IO7 
 
 . 108-121 
 
 The Rock Temples of Dambulla and Aluwihari . 
 
 . 122-126 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FULL PAGE PLATES. 
 
 i. 
 
 ii. 
 
 hi. 
 
 IV. 
 
 v. 
 
 VI. 
 
 VII. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 IX. 
 
 X. 
 
 XI. 
 
 XII. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 XIV. 
 XV. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 XX. 
 
 
 
 THE RUINED CITIES OF CEYLON. 
 
 Rock Temple at Dambulla 
 Scenery of the Kandyan District . 
 Aluwihari ...... 
 
 Rest-House at Nalanda 
 
 Kekirawa 
 
 Mihintale ...... 
 
 Flight of Stairs at Mihintale 
 Maha Seya Dagaba . . . . 
 
 Frontispiece 
 facing page io 
 „ 12 
 
 „ M 
 
 ,, 20 
 
 „ 24 
 
 ,, 26 
 
 „ 28 
 
 The Mahamegha Garden in 1896 
 Thuparama Dagaba . . . . . 
 
 Entrance to the Bo-Tree Enclosure 
 
 Isurumuniya Temple 
 
 Remains of the Brazen Palace 
 
 Ruanweli Dagaba 
 
 Ruanweli Dagaba showing the Elephant 
 
 Wall 
 
 Statues of King Dutthagamini and 
 
 three Buddhas 
 
 Inscription of Nessanka Malla 
 Remains near the Ruanweli Dagaba 
 Pokuna ........ 
 
 Kuttam-Pokuna 
 
 >. 3 « 
 
 » 4 ° 
 
 ” 44 
 
 ,, 46 
 
 » 50 
 
 „ 5 2 
 
 r> 54 
 
 » 5 6 
 
 .. 58 
 
 » 6 4 
 
 „ 66 
 
 68 
 
FULL PAGE PLATES. 
 
 XXI. Abhayagiriya Dagaba facing page 70 
 
 XXII. Remains of the Peacock Palace . . ,,72 
 
 XXIII. Jetawanarama Dagaba at Anuradhapura . ,, 74 
 
 XXIV. Moonstone and Steps .... ,,76 
 
 XXV. Remains of Pavilion (Third Century) . ,, 78 
 
 XXVI. Moonstone, Guardstones, and Steps . ,, 80 
 
 XXVII. Remains in Process of Excavation . . ,,82 
 
 XXVIII. Monolithic Statue of Buddha. . . ,,86 
 
 XXIX. Galge, or Rock Chamber .... ,,88 
 
 XXX. Remains of an Ancient Street . . ,,90 
 
 XXXI. Sigiri ,,92 
 
 XXXII. Remains of the Galleries of Sigiri . ,, 94 
 
 XXXIII. In the Gallery of Sigiri .... ,,96 
 
 XXXIV. Frescoes upon Sigiri ,,98 
 
 XXXV. Minneria ....... ,, 100 
 
 XXXVI. Returning from Polonnaruwa at Even- 
 tide ....... ,, 102 
 
 XXXVII. En Route for Polonnaruwa ... ,, 104 
 
 XXXVIII. Elephant Hunters at Polonnaruwa . ,, 106 
 
 XXXIX. Jetawanarama at Polonnaruwa . . ,, 108 
 
 XL. Jetawanarama from the North . . ,, no 
 
 XLI. Jetawanarama from the South-West . ,, no 
 
 XLII. Thuparama at Polonnaruwa ... ,, 112 
 
 XLI II. Entrance to the Thuparama at Polon- 
 naruwa . . . . . . . ,,112 
 
 XLIV. Kotuwa ,,114 
 
 XLV. Sat-Mahal-Prasada . . . . . ,,116 
 
 XLVI. Dalada Maligawa at Polonnaruwa . . ,, 118 
 
 XLV II. Rock Temple at Polonnaruwa ... ,, 120 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I. Remains of Rock Dwellings at Mihintale ... 34 
 
 II. Monolithic Cistern ........ 42 
 
 III. Pandu Orua 43 
 
 IV. Sculptured Tablet at Isurumuniya 48 
 
 V. Miniature Dagaba on the Ruanweli Platform . . 55 
 
 VI. East End of Southern Altar of Abhayagiriya Dagaba 70 
 
 VII. West End of Southern Altar of Abhayagiriya Dagaba 71 
 
 VIII. Carved Stele at Abhayagiriya Dagaba .... 72 
 
 IX. Termination of Coping at Maha Sen’s Palace . . 77 
 
 X. Relic Receptacle 79 
 
 XI. Stone Canopy at Anuradhapura 80 
 
 XII. Ruins of the Dalada Malagawa 90 
 
 XIII. Native Bazaar at Anuradhapura 91 
 
 XIV. The Dissawe of Polonnaruwa 107 
 
 XV. Statue of King Parakrama 120 
 
 XVI. Frescoes at the Aluwihari Rock Temple . . . 124 
 

 
 
THE 
 
 RUINED CITIES OF CEYLON. 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE GOLDEN AGE OF LANKA. 
 
 O few Europeans in Ceylon is the subject of 
 the present volume more than an empty name, 
 and to the most well informed at home the 
 ruined cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa 
 have never entered into the region of the actual. 
 If these pages are fortunate enough to arouse 
 some interest in wonders with which only the remains of the 
 ancient civilization of the Valley of the Nile can in any way 
 be compared, the present volume will have received its only 
 justification. 
 
 It is somewhat difficult at this day to realise the conditions 
 of existence of the Singhalese more than two thousand years 
 ago, but the attempt must be made, however imperfectly, if 
 we are to understand the remains that we are about to 
 explore. In our task we shall receive guidance and corrobora- 
 tion and the not unneedful correction from the stones themselves 
 that bear their history writ in imperishable symbols confirming 
 the almost contemporary literary sources of our information. 
 
 -t— A 
 
THE GOLDEN AGE OF LANKA. 
 
 To this end let us take an imaginary glimpse of the island 
 as it was about two centuries after the introduction of 
 Buddhism, and at the condition of those provinces where dense 
 forest now enfolds the remains of mighty cities. 
 
 Ceylon was the chief emporium of the eastern world. The 
 merchant fleets of India, China, Persia, and Arabia entered 
 its ports with silks, carpets, cloth of gold, sandalwood, horses, 
 chariots, and slaves. There they met not only to barter with 
 one another, but to traffic with the Singhalese, whose gems 
 were coveted by the nobles and princes of every country. 
 There was no king in India whose wealth could compare 
 with that of the ruler of Ceylon, and the precious products 
 of his dominions readily commanded ample supplies of the 
 luxuries of other nations. 
 
 The Singhalese had no need themselves to convey their 
 parcels of pearls, sapphires, and rubies to distant countries. 
 Such wealth brought their wants to their very doors. Where- 
 fore no vessel of their own is visible amongst the motley throng 
 that ride at anchor within the harbours so bountifully provided 
 by nature. A few small dhoneys constructed of planks sewn 
 together by threads of coir serve all local requirements, and 
 as yet they have no fleet. 
 
 The whole circuit of the coast-line is fringed with stately 
 palms as at the present day, but within this waving .belt there 
 is an entire absence of the impenetrable jungles that now cover 
 the land. From north to south the prospect is one of fertility 
 and resource. The forest-capped mountains rise from cultivated 
 valleys whose green crops are watered by artificial lakes that 
 set at nought the periodical droughts to which the Northern 
 provinces are subject. River courses have been deflected to 
 every depression that might serve as a natural receptacle, and 
 the escape of the waters controlled by huge dams and sluices. 
 Flephants tamed to complete obedience are engaged in the 
 
THE GOLDEN AGE OE LANKA. 
 
 3 
 
 construction of the massive stone conduits and channels which 
 convey the streams to the gardens and fields at the will of 
 the husbandman, making the periods of cultivation entirely 
 subservient to his will. We see nothing about these artificial 
 lakes to suggest the prosaic tanks ” by which they are now 
 familiarly known. Such skilful advantage is taken of natural un- 
 dulations that the beauty of the landscape is enhanced rather 
 than impaired by these works of utility. Each lake is a broad 
 expanse of rippling waters dotted with wooded islands, the 
 haunt of the pelican and flamingo. To its edge sweep down 
 verdant pastures, broken only by groups of limes, jak, bread- 
 fruit, and other trees, in whose grateful shade browse herds of 
 spotted deer. 
 
 Over a space of ten thousand square miles cultivation asserts 
 uninterrupted sway. Large tracts of rice and garden are seen 
 reaching far away to the horizon, each cluster having its own 
 lakelet led from the parent tank and thus ensured of a never- 
 failing harvest. 
 
 This ideal condition of culture is due to the ingenuity of 
 a people who have risen to the call of necessity and made 
 their land the adequate support of millions ; whereas an indolent 
 race, though few in number, must inevitably have starved, as 
 in fact it did when many centuries later the work of irrigation 
 was neglected. 
 
 The culture of flowers is such an important industry in 
 
 every district that it is at once evident there must be an 
 
 extensive demand for fragrant blossoms. And this is no matter 
 for surprise, as we are in a Buddhist country at a time when 
 
 the whole nation is assiduous in its observance of a ceremonial 
 
 in which offerings of flowers play an important part. 
 
 We notice also the same care expended on the cultivation 
 of roots, vegetables, and fruits, traceable to the Buddhist 
 
4 
 
 THE GOLDEN AGE OE LANKA. 
 
 injunction against taking animal life. The existence of such a 
 precept is not the least among the marvels of this wonderful 
 land ; for the hills which rise from the cultivated plains to the 
 south are peopled with animals of the most dangerous and 
 destructive kind. Herds of elephants trespass upon the sur- 
 rounding crops ; the wild pig takes his tithes also ; the deer 
 inhabiting the groves strays down to the green sward that 
 encircles the lakes, only to become the prey of the leopard that 
 infests every portion of the denser thickets. Even the deadly 
 cobra, guilty of thousands of human lives, is an object of 
 veneration rather than abhorrence, for did he not spread his 
 hood to shield the lord Buddha ? * 
 
 The order and contentment prevailing amongst the rural 
 population surprise us no less than the perfection of method in 
 the operations of agriculture. These people work to feed not only 
 themselves but also the millions inhabiting the vast cities and 
 occupied, as we shall see, in pursuits that create no wealth, but 
 rather have for their object its dissipation in gorgeous ritual. 
 
 It is true that these habits of industry are acquired under 
 a system of forced labour. A life of idleness would not be 
 
 possible even were it desired. The common folk are required 
 by a despotic monarch to cultivate the land ; but the system 
 of raja-kariya, or labour at the king’s command, is brought 
 into force only for the construction of their largest works of 
 irrigation. This coercion is, however, the secret of their wealth 
 and happiness, for the habits thus imposed upon them from 
 without rendered their country healthy and fertile ; while their 
 simple home life, undisturbed by care or ambition, favours the 
 increase of population. Throughout the country great blocks of 
 solid gneiss, sometimes found in the natural formation of a 
 hill-side, sometimes detached by the hand of man, are engraved 
 
 * The legend is that the king of the cobras spread his great hood over Buddha to 
 shade him from the sun while he sat absorbed in profound meditation. 
 
THE GOLDEN AGE OF LANKA. 
 
 5 
 
 with injunctions for the maintenance of the system of cultiva- 
 tion and of unity and concord among the people. 
 
 In the very centre of this stretch of cultivation lies the 
 mighty city of Anuradhapura. The lofty palaces and monu- 
 ments of its sacred enclosure tower above the rest of the 
 buildings which cover the land for the space of two hundred and 
 fifty square miles. At all approaches ornamental causeways 
 with massive granite paving converge upon the gates and hint 
 by the rich carvings of their marble curbs at the cunning of the 
 artificer within. The colossal bastions on the walls serve the 
 citizens for the defence of their sacred treasures. Thousands 
 of people are passing to and fro under the avenues of noble 
 tamarinds that shade the broad streets. Crowds of elephants, 
 some with gilded howdahs, with their burden of nobles in silk- 
 apparel pass near us. On entering the gates, instead of 
 crowded buildings as in a modern city, we see monastery and 
 temple, palace and shrine, spaced with fine lawns and extensive 
 beds of sweet-smelling flowers, diversified by groups of palms 
 and spice trees. 
 
 As we walk along the level highway to the sacred bo-tree 
 the perfume of jessamine and champac is wafted in the breeze. 
 There is a quiet and reverential bearing amongst the people, and 
 the whole place wears a sacred air. Silent crowds are walking 
 towards the large square enclosure in the middle of the 
 Mahamegha garden, where the leaves of the sacred peepul may 
 be seen quivering above the ornamental stone terraces that 
 surround it. The sanctity with which the tree is regarded 
 can be gathered from the splendour of the structure that invests 
 it, and the care with which it is guarded. An extensive wall 
 of granite, with cornices and coping enamelled with chunam 
 resembling ivory, forms the boundary of a marble-paved court, 
 to which there are four entrances of great architectural merit. 
 Each of these is canopied with a roof of brass supported 
 
6 
 
 THE GOLDEN AGE OF LANKA. 
 
 by twenty pillars, each hewn out of a single stone, set in a raised 
 stylobate of immense granite slabs with bold curbings.* 
 
 This is reached by a flight of sculptured steps, the first 
 of which is an exquisitely carved semi-circular slab with a 
 guardian on either side in bas relief. Within the court are 
 lavishly embellished halls containing images of Buddha, some 
 carved in stone and others worked in precious metals. An 
 inner enclosure is formed by tiers of stone terraces raised 
 around the sacred tree, the central object of unceasing venera- 
 tion as an offshoot from the very tree under which Gotama 
 sat until he attained perfection. It is therefore naturally held 
 to be endowed with miraculous power for promoting the spiritual 
 welfare of believers. They crowd the court by day and night. 
 No sooner has the sun gone down than a myriad lamps light 
 up the scene, which is all the more impressive in its contrast 
 with the dark shadows of night beyond. 
 
 From the Mahamegha garden, broad streets, spanned 
 by arches hung with gay creepers with their sprays of 
 scarlet, lead to palaces whose golden pinnacles glitter in the 
 sky and to stately shrines on whose white domes the sun- 
 beams glisten with radiant glory. Slender columns of granite 
 with exquisitely carved capitals and festooned with garlands 
 border all the ways. Between the columns stand vessels with 
 blossoms that fill the air with perfume, and statues holding 
 lamps. Thousands of yellow-robed monks pass in stately 
 procession, headed by princes and nobles upon gaily caparisoned 
 elephants ; for the national life within the sacred precincts is 
 a perennial drama of ceremonial observances. The chief 
 events of Buddha’s life are represented in miracle-plays, and 
 performed in spacious theatres with realistic scenery. Dancing 
 halls are amongst the most popular institutions, and the music 
 of shells and drums resounds in every street. 
 
 * The appearance at the present day may be seen by reference to Plate xi. 
 
THE GOLDEN AGE OF LANKA. 
 
 7 
 
 From the courtyard of the Brazen Palace the thunder of 
 sixty-four kinds of drums announces that the king, surrounded 
 by a thousand priests, has taken his seat on the ivory throne 
 in the great hall. This hall is the central apartment of the 
 building, around and above which are a thousand rooms 
 disposed in nine stories. The massive structure is built upon 
 eighteen hundred monoliths * covered with chased copper and 
 set with precious stones. Even the lines of the roof are 
 picked out with sparkling gems, and the gorgeous richness of 
 the whole edifice within and without almost passes compre- 
 hension. This palace has been bestowed by the king upon 
 
 the priesthood. It represents the supreme efforts of architect, 
 artist, and builder, and stands without a peer among the 
 many mansions of the holy city. 
 
 But even this is dwarfed by the massive shrines that rear 
 their heads in all directions. The new religion has filled its 
 votaries with almost superhuman energy, and only the very 
 hills themselves can compare with the buildings which are the 
 outward expression of their devotion. Foundations, laid to the 
 depth of one hundred feet, are composed of alternate strata 
 
 of stone and iron cemented one on the other. Upon these 
 
 pedestals of massive granite are placed and surrounded by 
 
 sculptured elephants, which appear as bearers of the super- 
 structure, which rises to a height of four hundred feet and 
 contains millions of tons of solid masonry. At the four points 
 there are shrines approached by handsome flights of steps ; 
 and to these come thousands of worshippers, all of whom 
 grace the altars with gifts of flowers. Not only are the steps 
 and shrines strewn with blossoms, but on days of festival the 
 entire dome is festooned from base to summit with choicest 
 flowers till it resembles a huge bridal bouquet, and over it 
 sprays of water continually play. 
 
 These monoliths stripped of their copper facing may be seen on reference to Plate xiii. 
 
8 
 
 THE GOLDEN AGE OF LANKA. 
 
 There is ample evidence on ever) T hand that religion is 
 not cultivated to the exclusion or even at the expense of 
 cleanliness. The pokuna or bath is quite as ubiquitous as the 
 shrine and monastery, and is constructed on a commensurate 
 scale. There are many measuring about one hundred and 
 fifty by sixty feet, and twenty-five feet in depth, paved 
 with marble, with tiers of granite rising from the floor to 
 the surface. The upper part is adorned with beautiful mould- 
 ings, and at either end are flights of marble steps with 
 handsome balustrades. 
 
 Here and there are temples hewn out of the solid rock, 
 with chapels for the reception of images of Buddha. All 
 around within and without the solid mass of gneiss is carved 
 with scenes of his life or engraved with precepts of the faith. 
 
 Even more worthy of note are the extensive monasteries 
 attached to every temple and shrine, many of them as large 
 as an English country town. Especially beautiful are the 
 designs of the steps leading to the entrance halls. They are 
 supported on either side by gracefully sculptured guardians. 
 The rich scrolls of the balustrading and the intricate carving 
 of the moonstones to represent a sacred lotus blossom sur- 
 rounded by semi-circular fillets of horses, bullocks, elephants, and 
 geese in rows, claim a large share of attention. 
 
 For a space of twenty square miles extends the inner city, 
 entirely devoted to religious edifices and the palaces of the king 
 and nobles; but beyond this for two hundred and fifty square 
 miles stretch the hives of industry that support it. There are 
 streets without number, each assigned to a particular class 
 of artizans ; the potters, blacksmiths, sandal makers, carpenters, 
 stone workers, goldsmiths, tanners, ivory carvers, gilders, and 
 others, are all separately located. The completeness of organi- 
 zation is thorough, and even if the aim is a misdirected one, 
 the results are astounding, and only possible under a unanimous 
 
THE GOLDEN AGE OF LANKA. 
 
 9 
 
 belief in the one religion, to which all industry is subservient. 
 From the rude manufacture of sun-dried bricks to the fash- 
 ioning of miniature trees with roots of coral, stems of silver, 
 leaves of gold, and flowers of gems, every effort is directed 
 to the service of religion. 
 
 A careful investigation of authentic history convinces us 
 that these ancient cities, with their marvellous buildings and 
 splendid resources, were the outcome of the religious enthusiasm 
 which followed the universal reception of Buddhism by the 
 Singhalese nation. 
 
 II 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 E have had a glimpse of the golden age of Lanka, 
 and it is now time to set out on our journey 
 and to fill in the sketch that has been drawn 
 by an examination of the ruins themselves, 
 with the help afforded by ancient Singhalese 
 literature. 
 
 Only a portion of the journey presents any considerable 
 difficulties to the traveller, but preliminary arrangements of an 
 extensive character are necessary, and a committee of ways and 
 means is indispensable. 
 
 The time needed is at least a month from the date of 
 leaving Colombo, which is the starting point for most travellers. 
 From Colombo we journey by rail to Matale, about one hundred 
 miles, reaching the middle of the island and the northernmost 
 limit of European cultivation. The ruined cities of Anuradhapura 
 and Polonnaruwa are situated, the former seventy miles direct 
 north of Matale, and the latter fifty miles to the north-east. 
 In view of the fact that Matale is the most northerly point of 
 the railway, we must there collect our forces and material for 
 the rest of the journey, which will be made over roads, good, 
 bad, and indifferent, and through rugged jungle paths inter- 
 spersed with swamps, of which nothing can be predicated save 
 their malarial qualities. 
 
Plate II. 
 
 SCENERY OF THE KANDYAN DISTRICT. 
 (See Pages ii and 21.) 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 1 1 
 
 We shall find it advisable to requisition a pair of horses 
 and a spring waggon, two bullock-carts to carry provisions, 
 beds, and camp furniture ; three pairs of bullocks, one as a 
 reserve in case of lameness or accident to the others ; two 
 horsekeepers ; three bullock drivers ; a cook and cook’s mate ; 
 and about fifteen coolies. This somewhat formidable array is 
 necessary because many of the places that we intend to visit 
 lie far from the roads that have recently been made through 
 the province, and are only to be reached by jungle tracks of 
 the roughest description. 
 
 Anuradhapura, the oldest and by far the most interesting 
 of the ancient cities, is now reached by a pleasant drive direct 
 to the north from Matale, but Sigiri and Polonnaruwa lie far 
 to the east of the main road, and for them about midway 
 between Matale and Anuradhapura we shall branch off into 
 mere jungle tracks. It is convenient therefore to drive on to 
 Anuradhapura and Mihintale, while the jungle party proceeds 
 thirty miles to Dambulla, the starting point for the more 
 troublesome part of the journey. 
 
 The carts are laden with tinned and bottled provisions for 
 about twenty days, including about fifty dozen of soda water, 
 for we trust the fluid of the jungle nowhere, even for boiling 
 rice or making tea, and in some places we shall even prefer a 
 few bottles for the purposes of personal ablution. Of all these 
 things the cook is placed in charge, with instructions to await 
 us at Dambulla. 
 
 So far we have passed through the unrivalled scenery of the 
 Kandyan district, of which, as it has been described in another 
 volume,* only a glimpse is here given (Plate ii). In this picture 
 will be noticed a curious crag called Ootooankanda, which was 
 in the early sixties the stronghold of a famous Singhalese bandit, 
 who for years terrorised the district, and whose exploits in robbery 
 and murder have already reached the legendary stage. 
 
 * The Author’s “Picturesque Ceylon,” Vol. ii. 
 
12 
 
 THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 Although the chief end of our journey is the exploration of 
 the ruined cities, we shall find some incidental enjoyment on 
 the way in observing the quaint manners and methods of the 
 natives, which are so foreign to those of our western civilization. 
 The exciting causes of pleasure and pain, joy or sorrow, flowing 
 from conditions and events so simple and even trivial, constitute 
 a never-failing source of interest, and we cannot but feel some 
 satisfaction in contrasting their condition of only a few years 
 ago, as gleaned from their own lips, with that of to-day. 
 
 Not the least deserving of mention for his share in this great 
 amelioration is the late Sir William Gregory, who, with true 
 insight, sought in the golden age of Ceylon the most effectual 
 means of restoring health and plenty to a people decimated by 
 disease and hunger owing to the destruction of the great works 
 of irrigation devised by their wise ancestors. 
 
 Twenty-five years ago the people had reached a stage of 
 extreme destitution. By a frightful disease called “ parangi,” 
 begotten of indifferent food, whole villages were becoming de- 
 populated, and but for the action then taken by the Government 
 they must have soon reached extinction. There were no roads 
 for communication with the more flourishing parts of the 
 country ; their ancient tanks which had for centuries been in 
 disrepair were becoming absolutely useless as a safeguard against 
 drought, and the whole population seemed resigned to the 
 inevitable. They even seem to have been unable to protect 
 themselves against the beasts that disputed with them the 
 right to their country, and faces torn and mangled in desperate 
 encounters with bears were so common as to call for no ex- 
 pression of surprise. 
 
 I he first step towards improving their condition was the 
 construction of the road by which we are about to proceed to 
 Anuradhapura. I hen came the question of combating the 
 disease that was everywhere rife among them. For this, 
 Dr. Kynsey, the Government medical adviser, prescribed the 
 
Plate III. 
 
 ALUWIHARI. 
 
 “ A picturesque spot to which is attached considerable literary 
 interest. . . The scene of King Walagambahii s convention of 
 monks in the first century b.c., at which were transcribed 
 the sayings of Buddha hitherto preserved only by tradition .” — 
 Page 124. 
 

 
 
 
 
JULWW23SAIEE. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 13 
 
 simple and effective remedy of pure air and water, to be obtained 
 by making clearings in the forests and jungles and by restoring 
 the ancient tanks. The Government thereupon issued an 
 ordinance providing for the cost of the masonry of the sluices 
 on condition that the inhabitants themselves repaired the earth- 
 works. The villagers, encouraged by the interest displayed on 
 their behalf, applied themselves bravely to the task, with the 
 further result that the work of improvement has not stood 
 still, and now the number of tanks in working order may be 
 reckoned by the hundred. Round many of the villages, too, 
 the forest has been cleared ; and in place of impenetrable 
 jungle stand beautiful parks which provide a fit setting for the 
 stately ruins that repose in their midst. In every locality thus 
 treated the health of the inhabitants has greatly improved, and 
 in place of the fever-stricken district of a quarter of a century 
 ago, there is a large tract which, for beauty and antiquarian 
 interest, is, I do not hesitate to write, without a rival, and 
 which, if not yet perfectly salubrious, is already safe for the 
 ordinary traveller throughout its most interesting parts. 
 
 Before we leave Matale it will repay us to walk leisurely 
 through the town, which contains one of the largest purely 
 native bazaars in Ceylon extending for almost a mile in one 
 long street shaded by a line avenue of rain trees, so called 
 from the circumstance that at night the leaves fold into a kind 
 of sack in which the moisture condenses and at sunrise when 
 the leaves open is discharged in quite a shower. Here are to 
 be seen the necessaries and luxuries for the supply of the native 
 community throughout the large and important planting district 
 of which Matale is the centre. All the shops are after the 
 fashion of open stalls, and the traders, their goods and trans- 
 actions, from one end of the street to the other, are open to 
 the gaze of the passers by. The barber, the tinker, the merchant 
 of gay coloured cloths, and the curry-stuff vendor, are all doing 
 a roaring trade. The mellifluous tones of Ramasamy’s voice 
 
14 
 
 THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 are unceasing, and the stranger will not fail to be struck with 
 surprise at the inordinate amount of talking required by every 
 trifling bargain. 
 
 But Matale is not without its antiquarian interest also. 
 Before we have proceeded a mile on our journey, a path on the 
 left of the road, which might easily escape notice, leads to a 
 famous cave of both archaeological and literary interest — the 
 Cave -Temple of Aluwihari (Plate iii). At present we pass on, 
 reserving it for our return, when we shall be in possession of 
 information that will add to our interest and heighten our 
 appreciation. And for the same reason we shall resist every 
 temptation to turn aside till we reach Mihintale, the cradle of 
 Buddhism in Ceylon. The country which we pass through for 
 the first stage is grandly undulated, and for the most part under 
 cultivation of rice, cocoa, and tea. The roadside scenes have 
 the characteristics of the Kandyan district, and are especially 
 beautiful in their wealth and variety of tropical foliage. We 
 halt here and there to examine some method of native agri- 
 culture, or to inspect some indigenous manufacture. 
 
 Our attention is arrested by a clay-bedaubed wheel lying 
 near the threshold of a palm-thatched hut. The native potter 
 perceiving our interest sets it going, while a bright - eyed 
 urchin, clothed only in the dark brown tints of his shiny 
 skin, hastens forward with a handful of clay, which in 
 the twinkling of an eye the potter converts into an earthen- 
 ware chattie or water-urn. Again he casts a lump upon the 
 spinning wheel and with surprising dexterity a shapely bowl 
 is fashioned. We question him on his output, his earnings, 
 the daily round of his life, his ambitions — which we find have 
 no existence — and then proceed to discover whether he enjoys 
 real contentment. Finding that he is possessed of this priceless 
 blessing, we decide that this wayside potter with his earnings 
 of fivepence a day has the advantage of his fellow-craftsman of 
 Sevres or Worcester with his higher wages and greater needs. 
 
Plate IV. 
 
 REST-HOUSE AT NALANDA. 
 
 “ A specimen of the picturesque and comfortable little hostelries 
 erected by the Government at easy stages on this road for the 
 use of travellers, built in park-like grounds and embowered in 
 remarkably fine tamarind trees ." — Page 15. 
 
V. 
 
 
 

THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA . 
 
 15 
 
 The next diversion is caused by a gang of some fifty or 
 sixty coolies — men, women, and children — approaching from the 
 north, each with a little bundle containing the household god-s 
 and entire possessions of its bearer ; and as they halt with 
 curious eyes directed towards us, we stop to enquire whence 
 they come and whither they go. We find they are on the 
 march from Southern India, attracted by the fourpence a day 
 obtainable in the planting districts of Ceylon, as compared 
 
 with the penny that represented their full earning capacity in 
 their own country. 
 
 At the fourteenth mile we reach the small but picturesque 
 village of Nalande. We make for the rest-house, near the 
 
 entrance of which there is a good specimen of the sacred bo- 
 tree with monkeys gambolling in its branches. This is our first 
 introduction to one of the principal objects of veneration of all 
 Buddhists. The rest-house which we have chosen to illustrate 
 as a specimen of the picturesque and comfortable little 
 
 hostelries erected by the Government at easy stages on this 
 road for the use of travellers is, as may be seen by reference 
 to Plate iv, built in park-like grounds and embowered in 
 remarkably fine tamarind trees. It is neatly furnished and 
 
 altogether so comfortable that we begin to feel astonished at 
 
 the comparative luxury and ease of travelling on this part of 
 our journey. We bait our horses and remain here to lunch, 
 after which we stroll out to make the acquaintance of the 
 
 villagers. 
 
 There are only a few native huts scattered here and there 
 in the jungle, but already we notice indications of the poverty 
 and sickness which still to some extent characterise the pro- 
 vince. Children are lying on the mud floors of the little 
 
 thatched sheds instead of merrily skipping about the roads as 
 in the villages that we have passed through, and anxious 
 
 mothers are nursing listless and fretful infants, sure signs of 
 the presence of malaria. We are travelling in January, when 
 
i6 
 
 THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 the rainy season has scarcely ended, and swamps of saturated 
 and decaying vegetation abound in all uncleared and unculti- 
 vated regions. Still the country is far more picturesque than 
 later in the year, when the raging torrents of the rivers are 
 reduced to feeble rills, and the beds of dilapidated tanks are 
 dry; for this reason we choose January, although extra pre- 
 cautions are necessary in the shape of frequent doses of 
 
 quinine and the avoidance of night exposure. 
 
 We have now left behind the cultivated lands of the 
 Kandyan province and proceed through dense forest for the 
 rest of the journey. Habitations become less frequent during 
 the next stage of twenty miles which brings us to Dambulla. 
 Here we find another excellent rest-house and take up our 
 quarters for the night. It is the half-way halting place 
 
 between Matale and Anuradhapura, and, being much used, is 
 placed in charge of an experienced attendant who keeps it well 
 provisioned. He is one of the smartest of his class, and 
 surprises us no less by his facility and intelligence in the dual 
 
 capacity of cook and valet than by his ingenuity in other 
 
 matters. Being aware that in these rest-houses the most 
 palatable dish that can be procured is curry and rice, we 
 inform him that we want plenty of this and nothing else for 
 our dinner. But such a request is incomprehensible to 
 
 him. He has never heard of an Englishman dining from a 
 single course, and judging by his experience he considers 
 variety to be quite as essential as plenty. But though his 
 larder is not remarkable for the diversity of its contents, he sets 
 to work with the following menu as the surprising result : — 
 Chicken soup a la mulligatawny — chicken cutlets — roast fowl — 
 grilled chicken — chicken curry — anchovy eggs. Six courses of 
 chicken, disguised and otherwise ! Well, we shall go further 
 and fare worse before we reach Colombo. 
 
 After dinner we find amusement in the visitors’ book. This 
 is not a mere autograph album, but a book in which visitors 
 
THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 17 
 
 record their impressions of the general merits of the house 
 from the traveller’s point of view. It is inspected periodically 
 by the road committee under whose control these caravanserais 
 are. For the most part it is filled with testimony to the 
 deserts of the custodian, often framed in amusing phraseology 
 but intended to express complete satisfaction. However, at 
 length a visitor arrives in a hypercritical mood and destroys 
 the unison with the following remarks : — 
 
 “ Rest-house requires white and colour washing, also paint- 
 ing. Back verandah and pillars filthy from dirty hands and 
 chunam marks. Rest-house keeper never thinks of cleaning 
 brass door handles or doors. Two dead frogs have been stuck 
 on dining-room door since Friday, and he never saw it until 
 he was shown. The rest-house keeper has a godown and room 
 of his own, and should not be allowed to dine with his son- 
 in-law in the back verandah ; the smell of their food is far 
 from pleasant to those who occupy the rest-house. Lazy 
 coolies, squalling baby and podians,* also women, are very 
 much ‘in evidence’; baby especially so at night. Rubbish, 
 such as cocoanut leaves, stable straw, sweepings, tins, paper, 
 &c., should be burnt, and not left in a heap in the compound 
 close to rest-house.” 
 
 The ingenuity displayed in the following note appended by 
 the rest-house keeper is delicious : — 
 
 “ I beg respectfully to explain first that the doors are 
 always cleaned in the morning when there are no gentlemen at 
 the rest-house. The gentleman arrived here on Friday, and 
 as he was rising late, I did not clean the doors as usual, fearing 
 that the banging of the doors will annoy him. Scores of frogs 
 (gasgembas) are weekly destroyed, and it is not strange that 
 one may get crushed between the door post, especially as a 
 fear to disturb gentlemen of a nervous temperament, who are 
 late risers, makes me do the cleaning as noiselessly as possible. 
 
 * Native children. 
 
 C 
 
i8 
 
 THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA . 
 
 “ When gentlemen come to the rest-house with their ser- 
 vants they often order me to feed them, which I do in the 
 back verandah when visitors are in the rest-house ; not 
 knowing when we will be wanted, I and servants take our 
 hurried meal in the back verandah, but if there is wrong I 
 will discontinue the practice. 
 
 “ The ‘ coolies and podians, also women,’ complained of 
 by the gentleman, are old friends and relations of the few 
 coolies who were laying gravel on the approaches. 
 
 “ Every morning just at daylight the compounds are swept 
 of all the straw, pieces of paper, &c. (mostly thrown by the 
 servants of gentlemen visitors), but the heavy blowing always 
 sends rubbish of this sort to the compound, and as sweeping 
 once in every hour is not practicable, they often lie about. 
 
 “ The rest-house, though it has a clean compound all 
 round, is yet surrounded by dwelling-houses, and I cannot 
 prevent babies of these very prolific parents from crying in 
 the night. It is true I am adopting a baby, but being well 
 cared for, he is noiseless, especially at night. 
 
 “ I regret very much to have to state that during all the 
 time every visitor, including H. E. the Governor, has pleased 
 at the manner this establishment is kept up ; the only dis- 
 sentient is this gentleman. 
 
 “ Johannis Perera, Rest-house Keeper.” 
 
 We enquire of the resourceful and ingenious Johannis who 
 gave him that name, and we find that his ancestors were 
 converted to Catholicism by the Portuguese four centuries 
 ago, and that his family has remained steadfast in the faith 
 ever since. When asked whether he ever feels any inclination 
 towards Buddhism, he replies, suiting his action to his words 
 by drawing his hand across his throat : “ If killing me, I not 
 give up my religion.” We find that religion with him is more 
 
THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 19 
 
 than a pious opinion ; the noisy baby complained of is a poor 
 little foundling that he discovered deserted in the jungle. 
 He tends it with the greatest care, sitting up through the 
 night endeavouring to soothe its quivering limbs, and yet 
 carries on his duties during the day with marvellous energy ; 
 and we have nothing but praise for him, both as rest-house 
 keeper and as man. 
 
 The village consists of a double row of mud huts which 
 do duty as caddies or native shops, and extends for about 
 two hundred yards at the foot of a solitary mass of rock 
 rising from the plain to a height of about five hundred feet 
 and about a mile in circumference. It is smooth, rounded, 
 and ugly, but about half way to the summit there are some 
 cave-temples of considerable interest which we shall visit on 
 our return. 
 
 The remaining forty-two miles to Anuradhapura is a some- 
 what monotonous drive through forest, unrelieved by anything 
 save the myriads of gorgeous birds and the creatures that 
 here and there dart to and fro across the road. By walking 
 on ahead we are enabled to make many an addition to our 
 collection, and we not infrequently bring down a good specimen 
 with a shot from the carriage. The thickets are almost impene- 
 trable, and although we hear noises and movements innumerable — 
 the strident call of the peacock, the hoarse rattle of deer, and 
 the chattering of monkeys — the network of creepers, with which 
 the trees are bound together in a tangled mass, forbids pursuit 
 save where elephants have cleared the way. 
 
 The villages of Ivekirawa and Tirappanne, at the fourteenth 
 and twenty-eighth miles respectively from Dambulla, form easy 
 stages for rest and refreshment. Both have good rest-houses 
 similar to that at Nalanda. Ivekirawa is a very fair specimen 
 of the village that has been improved by clearing away the 
 jungle (see Plate v). Though it is picturesque in itself, it will 
 
20 
 
 THE JOURNEY TO ANURADH APURA. 
 
 be noticed that the huts are squalid and lack the surroundings 
 of palms, plaintains, and creepers that we should see in any 
 other province of Ceylon. Indeed there is nothing but the 
 scantily-clad people and the heat to remind us that we are 
 in the Tropics. 
 
 We meet a shooting party here with whom we share the 
 rest-house, which soon becomes a temple of mirth. The atten- 
 dant here is another entertaining character, not only for his skill 
 in the culinary art, but also for his acquaintance with interesting 
 events of the past and his facility in recounting his own ex- 
 periences. Noticing his African cast of features, we open 
 conversation with him on the question of his nationality. 
 
 “You are not a Singhalese man, rest-house keeper?” 
 
 “ No, Sar. Kaffir, Sar. I belonged to Ceylon Rifle Regiment.” 
 
 “ Then perhaps you can tell us something about Sardiel, 
 the Singhalese highwayman, who, I believe, was captured by 
 your regiment.” 
 
 “ Yes, Sar. My company was sent to take him in his strong- 
 hold. That place, I think, calling Ootooankanda. Sergeant 
 Momatam wounded him in the knee. Sardiel then shooting 
 Segeant Momatam in forehead and killed him. Sardiel’s master 
 forsaking him, then shots hitting. Sardiel not doing anything 
 without magic.” 
 
 “Tell me all you know about him, and what you saw.” 
 
 “ Sar, there are many stories. I went with my company. 
 We hred on Sardiel’s hut in the mountain, and he fired on us. 
 We could not kill him because of his master. Honourable 
 Saunders was there. He not wanting any nonsense, and made 
 rush into Sardiel’s house and seized him. We bound him to 
 back of carriage and marched to Kandy with him. He was 
 tried and hung. 1 hen English peoples very afraid his master 
 bringing him to life again, and they got twelve European 
 
Plate V. 
 
 KEKI R A W A . 
 
 “A very fair specimen of the village that has been improved 
 by clearing away the jungle. Though it is picturesque in itself 
 it < will be noticed that the huts are squalid and lack the sur- 
 roundings of palms , plantains , and creepers that we should see 
 in any other province of Ceylon.” — Page 20. 
 

 
 
 
 
 

THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 21 
 
 doctors* to see that he was dead. Then putting him into iron 
 box and locking and making iron chains round and putting 
 deep in the ground and covering over with cement.” 
 
 “ But do you believe what you are saying ? ” 
 
 “ Sar (with great indignation) it is quite true. Sardiel never 
 doing anything without his master.” 
 
 “Then why did they not capture his master?” 
 
 “Sar, he was magician.” 
 
 “If you believe this, how do you account for Mr. Saunders 
 taking him ? ” 
 
 “ Sar, his master saying : 1 Your time is come. You have 
 stolen many guns and money, and murdered many peoples, 
 now I give you up,’ and then Sardiel was powerless.” 
 
 Noticing that one of our party is amused above the rest 
 by the Kaffir’s remarks, we find, by a curious coincidence, that 
 he can supply the authentic details of the story, since he 
 himself was one of the jury that tried the bandit and saw 
 him hanged. Our Plate ii gives a view of the rugged crag 
 called Ootooankanda, and the beautiful country which was the 
 scene of the exploits of Sardiel, whose authentic history is 
 something like the following : — He was a little insignificant 
 Singhalese, “with nothing in him but .the devil,” and from 
 his stature one would expect an ordinary boy of fourteen to 
 have proved more than his match. Originally a barrack boy 
 in Colombo, detected in theft, he Heel and adopted robbery as 
 a profession. He appears to have gathered around him some 
 kindred spirits, and to have fixed on Ootooankanda in the 
 district of Keigalle as his home. He was dreaded by Euro- 
 peans and natives alike, showing -marvellous resource in stealing 
 arms and ammunition and using them with deadly effect in 
 his nefarious enterprises. After he had so terrorised the district 
 
 * The “ twelve European doctors ” were no doubt the twelve jurymen. 
 
22 
 
 THE JOURNEY TO ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 that no contractor would undertake the transit of goods from 
 Colombo to Kandy without an escort, a reward of /hoo was 
 offered for his apprehension. The police were powerless against 
 him. He shot six of them on a single occasion, and a pathetic 
 story is told of one of these ill-fated constables. He had pre- 
 viously been censured by his superiors for his failure to capture 
 Sardiel, and when on this occasion he was determined on 
 retrieving his character, his father who accompanied, seeing 
 him shot down, ran forward exclaiming: “You have killed my 
 son, kill me also,” was instantly shot down, and died within 
 a few hours. Other attempts were made by the police to capture 
 him, but without result. At length he was taken by the 
 
 Honourable F. R. Saunders, then district judge of Keigalle, 
 with a company of the Ceylon Rifles, as our Kaffir friend 
 describes, and with him the only survivor of his band 
 to whom the Kaffir had in true Oriental fashion attributed 
 miraculous powers. There was immense excitement over the 
 trial and execution of the two miscreants, but the Kaffir’s story 
 of the precautions after the scoundrels were hanged, needless 
 to say, can only be attributed to the effect of such excitement 
 on popular imagination. 
 
 All this serves to while away the time necessary to bait 
 our horses and ourselves ; but it may here be mentioned that 
 Kekirawa is a convenient place as head-quarters for a visit 
 to the great tank of Kalawewa, five miles distant by jungle 
 path or seven miles by road. This gigantic reservoir of about 
 six thousand acres is a good locality for sport, and as it 
 abounds in archaeological interest, and is in addition very 
 picturesque, it will well repay a second visit. 
 
 We now push on to the wonderful city. As we approach, 
 greater variety of colour is noticeable in the foliage ; open 
 park-like scenery takes the place of dense forest, and we are 
 particularly attracted by the beauty of the trees, particularly 
 the ebony, the satinwoocl, the halmilla, with its large cabbage-like 
 
THE JOURNEY TO ANURADH A PUR A . 23 
 
 leaves, pretty cassias, the great kumbuk, which lines the banks 
 of the river with its buttress - like stems, the wood apple, 
 which favours the swampy ground, and the fig in all its 
 varieties. The climbing plants are no less striking, and their 
 fantastic forms are wonderful and bewildering. The golden 
 crowns of climbing lilies, the brilliant convolvuli, the mosses 
 and lichens and the multitude of ferns, with thousands of 
 beautiful plants whose identity is only known to the accomp- 
 lished botanist, adorn the walks and drives that have been 
 formed amidst the mouldering fragments of the ancient city. 
 We are made aware of our arrival at the sacred precincts by 
 the immense number of stone pillars which stand in groups 
 on every cleared space, and here we rest for the night. 
 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 MIHINTALE. 
 
 HE history of the ruined cities of Ceylon is 
 intimately connected with the religion of 
 
 Buddha, and the building of the monuments 
 which we are about to survey was directly 
 due to the adoption of that cult by the 
 
 Singhalese nation in the third century before 
 Christ. With the prior condition of the country we shall 
 
 concern ourselves only so far as to enquire who or of what 
 race were the Singhalese, and what were the circumstances 
 that led to their unanimous reception of a new creed with 
 
 such fervour as is evidenced by the remains of their sacred 
 buildings and literature. 
 
 Before the dawn of civilization in India, when as yet the 
 
 Sanskrit speaking Aryans of the north had not emerged from 
 obscurity, the whole country was peopled by half-savage races 
 in various stages of barbarism. Some of these aborigines 
 settled in Ceylon, where a few scattered tribes even still 
 remain. Shunning every opportunity of contact with other 
 
 races, they still dwell in the forest, where they live on the 
 products of the chase, display the most elementary notions 
 
 of religion in the form of snake and demon worship, and 
 exercise powers of reason very little superior to those of the 
 lower animals with whom they share the rocks and caves of 
 
Plate VI. 
 
 MIHINTALE. 
 
 “ At first sight this picture conveys only the impression of a 
 natural hill with precipitous sides covered with vegetation, and 
 were not curiosity aroused by the flight of steps and the robed 
 monk descending, the dagaba might easily escape notice. A close 
 examination, however, reveals the fact that it is not a natural 
 hill, but a gigantic ruined edifice, in the erection of which many 
 millions of bricks were brought to the top of the mountain and 
 carefully laid .” — Page 27. 
 

 
MESSES' ITAILIi. 
 

 
 
 
MI HINT ALE. 
 
 25 
 
 districts otherwise forsaken. They are referred to in the ancient 
 literature of the country with much contempt as Yakkas, or 
 barbarians. Their conquerors seem to have forced them to 
 slave labour on the tanks constructed in very early times, 
 but there is no reference to them after the third century a.d., 
 and it may be inferred from this and the exclusive and 
 
 barbarous condition of the small remnants of the tribe that 
 they became entirely cut off from the Singhalese after a 
 short period of subjection. 
 
 A few categorical statements regarding the origin of the 
 Singhalese race will serve our purpose better than the intro- 
 duction of debateable matter and the myths of the early 
 chronicles. The Singhalese were Aryan settlers from North- 
 Central India, and their language was closely affiliated to Pali, 
 a dialect of the Sanskrit which was cultivated by the Aryan 
 
 invaders of Central India. They settled in Ceylon some 
 centuries before the Buddhist conversion. We know little of 
 their history at this early period ; for although the ancient 
 chroniclers professed acquaintance with the minutest details 
 relating to their arrival and settlement in the island, the 
 
 accounts given are purely mythical. The Mahawansa, a 
 native chronicle that gives many valuable and interesting 
 accounts of later times, indulges in the most extravagant 
 fairy tales in dealing with the national history anterior to the 
 third century b.c. It begins with the story of the arrival of 
 Wijayo, a Singhalese prince, who with his followers is made 
 the hero of adventures so similar to those of Ulysses and 
 Circe in the Odyssey that the chronicler has by some been 
 supposed to have been acquainted with the Homeric poems. 
 
 Fortunately, however, we arrive on firmer ground early 
 enough for our purpose of tracing the history of the ancient 
 cities, and all that we need to notice of times prior to their 
 foundation is the simple fact that the Singhalese were in 
 
 possession of the country, much of which they had brought 
 
 D 
 
26 
 
 MI H INTALE. 
 
 under cultivation, aided by works of irrigation, an art which 
 they appear to have acquired in prehistoric times. It is safe, 
 moreover, to assume that for some centuries before the arrival 
 of Mahinda, who brought them tidings of the new religion 
 about the year b.c. 307, they had developed resources which 
 were soon to be employed in the building of those great cities, 
 the remains of which we have discovered two thousand years 
 later, and which will take their place among the greatest 
 wonders of the world. 
 
 Lastly, it may be safely asserted that the national religion 
 previous to the introduction of Buddhism was Brahman. 
 
 It is, however, a great thing that the period of the erec- 
 tion of the buildings whose remains now stand before us falls 
 within the domain of authentic history. Not a single building 
 or ^sculptured stone has been found that does not come within 
 
 this period, and it is remarkable that in India no relic of 
 
 ancient architecture has been discovered of a date anterior to 
 
 that of the ruined cities of Ceylon, while the history of the 
 latter is infinitely clearer and more reliable than that of the 
 adjoining continent, a circumstance due to the careful preser- 
 vation by the Singhalese of the olas on which the events of 
 very early times were inscribed. 
 
 Mih intale first claims our attention because here began the 
 Buddhist influence, the efficient cause of all the constructive 
 
 energy which the Singhalese displayed in the erection of their 
 vast cities and monuments. Eight miles to the east of the 
 sacred part of the city of Anuradhapura the rocky mountain, 
 now called Mihintale, rises abruptly from the plain to the 
 height of a thousand feet. Its slopes are now covered 
 with dense forest from the base almost to the summit, 
 with the exception of the space occupied by a grand stairway 
 of granite slabs which lead from the level plain to the highest 
 peak. These steps, one thousand eight hundred and forty in 
 
FLIGHT OF STAIRS AT MIIIINTALE. 
 
 “ Eight miles to the east of the sacred part of the city of 
 Anuradhapura the rocky mountain, now called Mihintale, rises 
 abruptly from the plain to the height of a thousand feet. Its 
 slopes are now covered with dense forest from the base almost 
 to the summit , with the exception of the space occupied by a 
 grand stairway of granite slabs which lead from the level plain 
 to the highest peak. These steps, one thousand eight hundred 
 and forty in number, render easy an ascent which must have 
 been originally very toilsome .'’ — Page 27. 
 

 
 
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 IFE^E®®® ©IP SU^EIES A IP IKEIIIEIKJ 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 r 
 
 
 
 
 
MI HI NT ALE. 
 
 27 
 
 number, render easy an ascent which must have been originally 
 very toilsome. They are laid on the northern side which is 
 the least steep, the southern face being almost precipitous. 
 Our Illustrations (Plates vi and vii) depict one of the lower and 
 the topmost flights. The last hundred and fifty steps, as 
 seen in Plate vi, are hewn in the solid rock, and at the top is 
 visible the north-east side of the ruined Etwehera dagaba. 
 
 At first sight this picture conveys only the impression of a 
 natural hill with precipitous sides covered with vegetation, and 
 were not curiosity aroused by the flight of steps and the robed 
 monk descending, the dagaba might easily escape notice. A 
 closer examination, however, reveals the fact that it is not a 
 natural hill, but a gigantic ruined edifice, in the erection of 
 which many millions of bricks were brought to the top of the 
 mountain and carefully laid. Near it there are other dagabas 
 of great size. One, called the Maha Seya (see Plate viii) is 
 placed in a position whence grand views of the surrounding 
 country are obtained. The summit of this can be reached by 
 the adventurous climber, and the exertion, if not the danger, 
 is well repaid by the striking spectacle of the ruined shrines of 
 Anuradhapura rising above a sea of foliage, and the glistening 
 waters of the ancient artificial lakes relieving the immense 
 stretches of forest. For twenty centuries this mass of brickwork 
 defied the destructive tooth of time, and the disintegrating 
 forces of vegetable growth ; but a few years ago it showed 
 signs of collapse on the west face, and underwent some repairs 
 by the Ceylon Government. Our illustration presents a near 
 view from the west, showing the portion cleared of vegetation 
 and repaired. Some idea of the proportion of this dagaba 
 may be gathered by noticing that what appears to be grass 
 upon the upper portion of the structure is in reality a mass of 
 forest trees that have grown up from seeds dropped by birds. 
 
 There are many other interesting remains on this mountain 
 sacred to the memory of Mahinda, the royal apostle of Buddha 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
MIHINTALE. 
 
 29 
 
 of arriving at the origin of the influence which led to the 
 building of the sacred cities. It will, however, be useful to 
 note briefly the main features of the system, which presupposes 
 the doctrine of transmigration. 
 
 A buddha is a being who has passed through countless 
 lives and has in each successive re-birth added something 
 to his merits, by which he ultimately becomes endowed with 
 supernatural powers. Upon attaining buddhahood, which is the 
 supreme phase of existence, the buddha is enabled to direct all 
 beings to the path that leads to final extinction. At his death 
 he ceases to exist ; but his precepts are regarded as laws of 
 religion. Buddhas appear only at intervals of time incon- 
 ceivably vast. The broad outline of the Buddha’s teaching is 
 contained in the four dogmas — 
 
 (1) Existence is sorrow ; 
 
 (2) Desire for existence is the cause of sorrow ; 
 
 (3) The cessation of sorrow is effected by the eradication 
 
 of desire ; 
 
 (4) The way of living which leads to the extinction of 
 
 sorrow is the practice of right faith, right resolve, 
 right speech, right action, right living, right effort, 
 right recollectedness, and right meditation, according 
 to the example of the Buddha. 
 
 The effect of entirely eliminating desire is final extinction. 
 Unless existence is dissolved by the total destruction of desire 
 re-birth takes place, thus perpetuating sorrow ; and, in propor- 
 tion as Buddhist precepts have been observed or disregarded, 
 so is the re-birth favourable or otherwise. The wicked suffer 
 retribution by unfavourable transmigration, and all beings 
 good or bad pass through an endless succession of lives 
 unless freed from existence by the attainment of a clear 
 insight into the causes of sorrow and the practice of the life 
 that sets them free. 
 
30 
 
 MI HINT ALE. 
 
 These were the doctrines introduced by the Buddha in the 
 sixth century b.c. However they may be regarded to-day, they 
 were undoubtedly superior to those of Brahmanism, and their 
 ready adoption by millions of people shows how suited they 
 were to the Indian mind. 
 
 At the time of Gotama’s death, about b.c. 477, the Magadhan 
 state was one of small prestige, but during the two centuries 
 that followed it became a powerful empire, with the march of 
 which the Sakyan’s teaching kept time. The brotherhoods 
 formed by his followers during his lifetime practised the 
 course of life that he taught, and thus by example and tra- 
 dition the system spread and descended from one generation 
 to another. 
 
 The great teacher left no writings to guide his adherents, 
 but soon after his death his teachings were collected under 
 the authority of Councils of the Community, and to these were 
 added the records of all his words and deeds that could be 
 garnered for the instruction and example of posterity. 
 
 In the early part of the third century b.c. the Greeks in- 
 vaded India, an event of no small importance to the future of 
 Buddhism. The Magadhan state received the support of the 
 invaders, with the result that it soon became a mighty empire 
 embracing nearly the whole of India ; and the ruler of this 
 vast domain, Asoka, was an earnest patron of Buddhism. He 
 was originally a Brahman, but upon his conversion he became 
 a very zealot for the new faith, sending missionaries to many 
 countries, and amongst them his son, Prince Mahinda, who 
 was sent to Ceylon, the field of labour to which his training 
 was especially directed. 
 
 The Singhalese, as we have already said, were of the same 
 race as the Magadhans, and it is reasonable to suppose that 
 they spoke the same language. Moreover, the monarchs of the 
 
MIH IN TALE. 
 
 31 
 
 two countries were on terms of friendship. Tissa, the Singha- 
 lese king, who had upon coming to the throne succeeded to 
 very great wealth, despatched ambassadors to his friend Asoka 
 with costly presents. That monarch, in acknowledging the 
 treasures, sent many valuable gifts to Tissa in return, accom- 
 panied by the following exhortation : — “ I have taken refuge in 
 Buddha, his religion, and his priesthood ; I have avowed 
 myself a devotee in the religion of the descendant of Sakya. 
 Ruler of men, imbuing thy mind with the conviction of the 
 truth of these supreme blessings, with unfeigned faith do thou 
 also take refuge in this salvation.” 
 
 Upon this Mahinda proceeded to Ceylon to follow the 
 above message with personal appeals. His meeting with the 
 king at Mihintale is described in the Mahawansa with a wealth 
 of picturesque incident in which a sprinkling of signs and 
 wonders authenticates the importance of his mission. The 
 portion which bears the test of reason, and which from con- 
 temporary evidence may in substance be accepted, tells of 
 Mahinda’s arrival upon the mountain of Mihintale, accom- 
 panied by a few monks. Here they met the king out hunting 
 with a large retinue, and Mahinda thus addressed his majesty : 
 “We are the ministers and disciples of the Lord of the true 
 faith : in compassion for thee, Maharajah, we have repaired 
 hither.” The king, recollecting the message of his friend 
 Asoka, was convinced that they were ministers of the faith. 
 Laying aside his bow and arrow he conversed graciously with 
 them. Seeing the other members of the mission, he enquired 
 “Whence come these”? “With me,” replied Mahinda. Then 
 the king asked if there were any other priests like unto them, 
 to which Mahinda replied: “Jambudipa itself glitters with 
 
 yellow robes ; there the disciples of Buddha, who have fully 
 acquired the three sanctifications, who are perfect masters of 
 the knowledge which procures bliss, the saints who have the 
 gift of prophecy and divination, are numerous.” For the 
 
32 
 
 MIHINTALE. 
 
 purpose of ascertaining the capacity of the king, Mahinda 
 interrogated him ; and as he propounded question after ques- 
 tion the monarch solved them satisfactorily. “ What is this 
 tree called”? asked Mahinda. “A mango,” replied the king. 
 “Besides this are there any other mango trees?” “There are 
 many.” “Besides this mango and those other mangoes, are 
 there any other trees in the world ? ” “ Yes, there are many 
 
 others, but they are not mangoes.” Besides the other mango 
 trees and the trees that are not mangoes, is there any other?” 
 “Yes, this mango.” “Ruler of men,” cried Mahinda, “thou 
 art wise.” The king having thus been proved capable of 
 understanding, a discourse on Buddhist doctrine was delivered, 
 and he and his train were then and there converted. 
 
 King Tissa rejoices exceedingly to find that Mahinda is 
 the son of his friend the emperor, and invites him to the 
 capital. Then follows the conversion of the queen and her 
 attendants and the reception of Buddhism by the whole 
 nation. 
 
 The Buddha is said to have visited Ceylon on several 
 occasions, but we have no very convincing evidence of this. 
 The accounts given in the ancient chronicles were written 
 too long after his death, and have too much of the 
 miraculous element to be regarded as of any historical value, 
 but as they are accepted by the Buddhists as part of their 
 religious belief some reference to them may be expected. The 
 Buddha first prepares the way for Mahinda by clearing the 
 island oi the local demons or yakkas. The Mahawansa says 
 that it was known by the Buddha that Lanka (Ceylon) would 
 be the place where his religion would be most glorified, and that 
 it was needful that the yakkas by whom it was inhabited 
 should be removed. Knowing the spot where he would find 
 the yakkas assembled, he proceeded thither by an aerial route, 
 and hovering above them struck terror into their host by 
 storm, tempest, and darkness. The yakkas, overwhelmed with 
 
MI HINT ALE. 
 
 33 
 
 awe, supplicated to be released from their terror. He replied 
 “ I will release you, but give unto me here by unanimous 
 consent a place for me to alight on.” The yakkas replied 
 that they would bestow on him the whole country. He then 
 descended, and spreading his carpet upon the ground sat 
 down upon it, causing the fringe of the carpet to blaze with 
 flames of fire, which extended on all sides until the terrified 
 yakkas were driven to the very shores of the island. As they 
 stood there he caused the delightful island of Giri to approach 
 the coast, when they gladly rushed upon it to escape the 
 conflagration. The island with new inhabitants then drifted to 
 its former position. The demons having been thus satisfactorily 
 disposed of, Buddha folded up his carpet, and the Devas— a 
 higher order of supernatural beings — assembled. These he 
 
 converted in large numbers, and amongst them Sumana, the 
 Deva of the mountain, now known as Adam’s Peak. To him 
 he gave a handful of his hyacinthine locks, which the Deva 
 enshrined in a golden casket, and covering this with an emerald 
 dome, preserved it as an object of veneration for future ages. 
 
 The aborigines are frequently referred to at this period as 
 Nagas, or snake-worshippers, and it is recorded that Buddha 
 on his second visit converted the Naga king. A few years 
 later he revisited his royal convert, who entertained him and 
 his attendant disciples at Kelani, near Colombo, providing them 
 with a celestial banquet. It was on this occasion that Buddha 
 rose aloft into the air and left the impression of his foot upon 
 the mountain of Sumana (Adam’s Peak). If his object was to 
 sanctify for ever the Peak, he certainly succeeded, for now, in 
 this nineteenth century, two thousand five hundred years after 
 the event, the annual stream of pilgrims who at the risk of 
 their lives climb the precipitous sides of the mountain to salute 
 the sacred footprints is ever on the increase. 
 
 On a higher plane of historical truth lies Mahinda’s visit 
 to Mihintale, which is attested by contemporary evidence. 
 
34 
 
 MIHINTALE. 
 
 Having now some knowledge of the causes which led to 
 the veneration of the sacred localities and the foundation of 
 their buildings, we must resume our inspection of the remains 
 at Mihintale. King Tissa’s conversion was commemorated by 
 a great vihara or monastery erected on the very spot, and 
 by the construction of a large number of monastic dwellings 
 in the rock, the remains of which are amongst the most 
 interesting features of the mountain at this day After the 
 
 REMAINS OF ROCK DWELLINGS AT MIHINTALE. 
 
 completion and establishment of the monastery, the building 
 of the grand stairway was begun, and continued for generations 
 by pious pilgrims. Meanwhile many a shrine was added by 
 successive monarchs to the memory of the great Mahinda 
 till the mountain was literally covered with sacred buildings. 
 In the solid granite of the steeper slopes were engraved the 
 instructions for the priests, dealing with every detail of their 
 life and every item of ceremonial observance. 
 
MI HINT ALE. 
 
 35 
 
 These inscriptions, which are still legible, tell us that 
 none who destroyed life in any way were permitted to live 
 near the mountain ; special offices were allotted to various 
 servants and workmen ; accounts were to be strictly kept and 
 examined at an assembly of priests ; certain allowances of 
 money to every person engaged in the temple service were 
 made for the purchase of flowers, so that none might appear 
 without an offering ; cells are assigned to the readers, ex- 
 pounders, and preachers ; hours of rising, of meditation, and 
 of ablution are prescribed ; careful attention to food and diet 
 for the sick is enjoined ; there are instructions to servants of 
 every kind, warders, receivers of revenue, clerks, watchmen, 
 physicians, surgeons, laundrymen, and others, the minuteness 
 of detail giving an excellent idea of the completeness of 
 arrangement for the orderly and beautiful keeping of the 
 venerated locality. 
 
 Amongst other interesting remains on the mountain is the 
 Naga Pokuna or snake bathing pool. This is hewn out of 
 the solid rock, and is one hundred and thirty feet in length 
 and of extremely picturesque appearance. On the rock which 
 overhangs one side of the pool is an immense five-hooded 
 cobra carved in high relief. Having regard to the role of 
 
 protector assigned to the cobra in the ancient legend already 
 referred to, this monster, with his hood spreading fully six 
 feet across, doubtless possessed prophylactic virtues, which were 
 assisted by the ceremonial ablutions for which this weird and 
 mysterious looking bath was constructed. 
 
 Amongst the best preserved relics is the Ambustele Dagaba 
 which enshrines the ashes of Mahinda, who ended his days on 
 the spot where his successful mission began. The shrine marks, 
 it is said, the very piece of ground where the first meeting 
 of the monarch Tissa and the royal missionary took place. 
 It is built of stone instead of the usual brick, and is surrounded 
 by fifty slender octagonal pillars with sculptured capitals. 
 
36 
 
 MIHINTALE. 
 
 Near the dagaba is a narrow ledge high up the side of 
 a precipitous rock known as Mahinda’s bed. Though there 
 is nothing at first sight to suggest repose it may well be 
 credited that to this lonely spot the apostle was wont to 
 retreat to renew in the contemplation of the vista spread out 
 beneath him that spiritual fire that may have been burning 
 low alter a prolonged contact with the world. Certainly the 
 view is one of majestic grandeur. For some hundreds of 
 feet ledge after ledge supports huge fallen boulders of granite, 
 while the forest below extends to the sea in an expanse 
 unbroken save by a few patches of rice which pleasantly 
 relieve the monotony and add colour to the landscape. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 HE road from Mihintale to Anuradhapura 
 arouses greater interest as being the old means 
 of communication between these two places, 
 and, though now cut through thick forest, 
 was originally lined along its whole distance 
 with buildings of various descriptions. In return- 
 ing to Anuradhapura we shall naturally wish first to see the 
 remains of those buildings which were erected by Tissa as 
 a result of his conversion. These we find in that part of the 
 city which was at the time of Mahinda’s visit the Mahamegha, 
 or king’s pleasure garden. The tradition is that the report of 
 Bimbisara, king of Magadha, having presented his own pleasure 
 garden to Buddha and of its being accepted by him for the use 
 of the priests had reached the ears of Tissa, and in imitation of 
 this pious example he dedicated the Mahamegha to sacred 
 purposes. This garden of twenty square miles in extent was 
 in the centre of the royal city, eight miles to the west of 
 Mihintale. The gift was important, as signifying the royal 
 protection extended to the new religion, and like all matters 
 of special interest it received much attention from the ancient 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 chronicler, as may be seen by the following extract from the 
 Mahawansa : — 
 
 “In the morning, notice having been previously given by 
 beat of drums, the celebrated capital, the road to the thera’s 
 (chief priest’s) residence, and the residence itself on all sides, 
 having been decorated, the lord of chariots, decked in all the 
 
 insignia of royalty, seated in his chariot, attended by his 
 
 ministers and the women of the palace, and escorted by the 
 martial array of his realm, repaired to the temple constructed 
 by himself, accompanied by this great procession. 
 
 “ There, having approached the theras worthy of veneration 
 and bowed down to them, proceeding together with the theras 
 to the upper ferry of the river, he made his progress, ploughing 
 the ground with a golden plough to mark the limits for the 
 
 consecration. The superb state elephants, Mahapaduma and 
 
 Kunjara were harnessed to the golden plough. Beginning at 
 the first Ivuntamalaka, this monarch, sole ruler of the people, 
 accompanied by the theras, and attended by the four con- 
 stituent hosts of his military array, himself held the haft of 
 the plough. 
 
 “ Surrounded by exquisitely painted vases, carried in pro- 
 cession, and gorgeous flags ; trays containing sandal dust ; 
 mirrors with gold and silver handles ; baskets borne down by 
 the weight of flowers ; triumphal arches made of plaintain 
 trees, and females holding up umbrellas and other decorations ; 
 excited by the symphony of every kind of music ; encompassed 
 bv the martial might of his empire ; overwhelmed by the 
 shouts of gratitude and festivity which welcomed him from 
 the four quarters of the earth ; — this lord of the land 
 made his progress, ploughing and exhibiting furrows, amidst 
 enthusiastic acclamations, hundreds of waving handkerchiefs, 
 and the exultations produced by the presentation of superb 
 offerings. 
 
Plate IX. 
 
 THE MAHAMEGHA GARDEN IN 1896. 
 
 “■ This garden of twenty square miles in extent zvas in the 
 centre of the royal city, eight miles to the west of Mihintale 
 — Page 37. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 39 
 
 “The eminent saint, the Mahathera, distinctly fixed the 
 points defining the boundary, as marked by the furrows made 
 by the king’s plough. Having fixed the position for the 
 erection of thirty-two sacred edifices, as well as the Thuparama 
 Dagaba, and having according to the forms already observed, 
 defined the inner boundaries thereof, this sanctified person on 
 that same day completed the definition of all the boundary 
 lines. At the completion of the junction of the sacred 
 boundary line the earth quaked.” 
 
 Having thus dedicated the royal precincts of the city to 
 
 religious purposes, Tissa’s next object was to hallow them by 
 the presence of a relic of the Buddha himself. 
 
 Here again we plunge into myth of the highest order to 
 obtain a grain or two of actual fact. We accept as authentic 
 the statement that the Thuparama was the first of the large 
 shrines built upon this sacred ground, and that it was erected 
 by King Tissa. It is quite likely, too, that he endeavoured 
 to procure a true relic of the Buddha, and that he sent to 
 
 his friend the Emperor Asoka to obtain one ; but a simple 
 recital of such a proceeding would be quite unworthy of the 
 oldest shrine in Ceylon ; and so Tissa is said to have had 
 recourse to supernatural means to obtain the needful relic, and 
 to have asked the gods themselves for the right collar bone of 
 the Buddha. A nephew of Mahinda was chosen for the mis- 
 sion, and instructed to address the Emperor Asoka as follows: 
 “ Maharajah, thine ally Tissa, now converted to the faith of 
 
 Buddha, is anxious to build a dagaba. Thou possessest many 
 
 corporeal relics of the Muni ; bestow some of those relics, and 
 the dish used at his meals by the divine teacher.” He was 
 next to proceed to Sakka, the chief of the Devas, and thus 
 address him : “ King of Devas, thou possessest the right canine 
 tooth relic, as well as the right collar bone relic, of the deity 
 worthily worshipped by the three worlds : continue to worship 
 that tooth relic, but bestow the collar bone of the divine 
 
4 o 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 teacher. Lord of Devas ! demur not in matters involving the 
 salvation of the land of Lanka.” The relic was surrendered 
 by the gods and conveyed to Anuradhapura, where it per- 
 formed many miracles before it reached the receptacle in the 
 Thuparama. Its concluding feat was to rise from the back of 
 the elephant that conveyed it to the shrine to the height of five 
 hundred cubits, and thence display itself to the astonished popu- 
 lace, whose hair stood on end at the sight of flames of fire and 
 streams of water issuing from it. 
 
 But it is not within our present purpose to quote all the 
 legends that embellish the history contained in the ancient 
 Singhalese writings, and we must pass on to the shrine itself, 
 built by Tissa about the year b.c. 307. 
 
 This monument is in itself evidence of the remarkable skill 
 of architect, builder, and sculptor in Ceylon at a period anterior 
 to that of any existing monument on the mainland. The upper 
 portion of the structure has been renovated and spoilt by the 
 devotees of modern times, but the carvings and other work of 
 the lower portion remain untouched. A great deal of excava- 
 tion is, however, still necessary to expose the platform at the 
 base. All the Ceylon dagabas are of this bell shape, but their 
 circumference varies from a few feet to over eleven hundred, 
 some of them containing enough masonry to build a town for 
 twenty-five thousand inhabitants. The Thuparama is small 
 compared with many of them, the diameter of the bell being 
 about forty feet and its height about sixty. 
 
 The portion of the basement immediately beneath the bell 
 is undoubtedly ancient. It consists of two stages ; the lower, 
 about three and a half feet high, is faced with dressed stone 
 and belted with bold mouldings ; the upper retires a couple of 
 feet, and upon that is a terrace six feet wide running right 
 round the dagaba. The whole of the interior is solid brick. 
 Below the basement of the bell all has more or less been buried 
 
Plate X. 
 
 THUPARAMA DAGABA. 
 
 “ All the Ceylon dagabas are of this bell shape , but their 
 circumference varies from a few feet to over eleven hundred, 
 some of them containing enough masonry to build a town for 
 twenty-five thousand inhabitants. The Thuparama is small 
 compared with many of them, the diameter of the bell being 
 about forty feet and its height about sixty." — Page 40. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
ANURADHAPURA . 
 
 4i 
 
 in earth and debris, the accumulation of ages ; some excava- 
 tion lias, however, disclosed a circular platform of about one 
 hundred and sixty feet in diameter, raised to about twelve feet 
 above the original level of the ground. The base of this plat- 
 form, which is reached by two flights of stone steps, is also of 
 brick and is ornamented with bold mouldings to a height of 
 about five feet, and above this the wall is surrounded with 
 semi-octagonal pilasters. 
 
 The most attractive feature of the dagaba, however, is the 
 arrangement of ornamental pillars on the platform. A large 
 number, as may be seen by a glance at our Illustration (Plate x), 
 are still erect. They are all slender monoliths of elegant pro- 
 portions. The carvings of the capitals are singularly beautiful ; 
 they contain folial ornaments as well as grotesque figure- 
 sculptures, and are fringed to a depth of more than a foot 
 with tassels depending from the mouths of curious masks. 
 These pillars are placed in four concentric circles, and decrease 
 in height as the circles expand, the innermost being twenty-three 
 feet and those of the outside circle fourteen feet high. 
 
 There has been a great deal of speculation as to the pos- 
 sible structural use of these pillars. Some have suggested that 
 they supported a roof which extended over the entire dagaba, 
 others that they were erected in order to carry pictures repre- 
 senting scenes of Buddhist history, hung from beams supported 
 on their capitals. It is very likely that they served some pur- 
 pose besides that of mere ornament, but what that was we are 
 hardly likely now to discover, as no allusion is made to them 
 in any of the ancient chronicles. I am inclined to think 
 that they were surmounted by emblematic figures, and were 
 intended primarily as ornaments in themselves. They were 
 doubtless used on festal occasions to suspend strings of lamps 
 and garlands, always one of the chief features of Buddhist 
 ceremonial. 
 
42 
 
 ANURADHAPURA . 
 
 Of the original one hundred and seventy-six pillars only 
 thirty-one remain now standing entire with their capitals. There 
 was probably a walled enclosure to the dagaba, and it has been 
 suggested that upon this wall a conical roof was raised over 
 the whole structure partially supported by the pillars. I cannot, 
 however, find any reason to adopt this theory. 
 
 MONOLITHIC CISTERN. 
 
 Near the Thuparama there is a remarkably fine trough 
 carved out of a single block of granite. Its size may be esti- 
 mated from the old Singhalese woman who stands near it. 
 She volunteered the statement that she was upwards of eighty 
 years of age and that she was in charge of the shrine. The 
 trough is undoubtedly very ancient, but its use is a matter of 
 conjecture, some suggesting that it was a receptacle for rice 
 given to the priests. 
 
 In the vicinity lies another curious vessel, about seven 
 feet long, also hewn out of a single block. Its chief points 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 43 
 
 are a circular basin and a raised slab, and it is supposed to 
 have been used for dyeing the robes of the priests, being known 
 
 as a “ pandu orua,” 
 or dyeing vat. The 
 robes were placed in 
 the basin of yellow 
 dye, and were after- 
 wards spread upon the 
 slab and wrung out 
 with wooden rollers. 
 
 The interesting 
 ruins of the Dalada 
 Mai igawa, or Palace 
 of the Tooth, are 
 within the original 
 outer wall of the Thuparama enclosure. This palace was built 
 for the reception of Buddha’s tooth upon its arrival in Ceylon 
 in a.d. 31 1, but we will postpone our remarks upon this until 
 we have visited the ruins of a still older date. 
 
 We pass now to another relic which has perhaps attracted 
 more attention than any other — the sacred bo-tree. The royal 
 convert, King Tissa, having succeeded in obtaining a branch 
 of the fig-tree under which the Buddha had been wont to sit 
 in meditation, planted it at Anuradhapura and it is now the 
 venerable tree which we see still flourishing after more than 
 twenty centuries. Its offspring have formed a grove which 
 overshadows the ruins of the once beautiful court and the 
 tiers of sculptured terraces which were built around it. All 
 that is left of the magnificent entrance to the enclosure is 
 seen in our picture — a few bare monoliths and the two janitors 
 still at their post (see Plate xi). 
 
 The story of this tree is intimately connected with that of 
 Mahinda, and therefore goes back to the foundation of 
 
44 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 Anuradhapura. We have already noticed that the conversion of 
 the people followed immediately upon that of their king, and 
 in the desire to embrace the doctrines of the great preacher 
 the women were not behind, and thousands of them wished to 
 take vows and enter upon a life of asceticism. But Mahinda 
 declared that although they might be converted by his 
 preaching they could take vows only at the hands of a digni- 
 tary of their own sex. This difficulty was overcome by 
 sending for his sister Sanghamitta, who had become the prioress 
 of a Buddhist nunnery at Pataliputra. Thither King Tissa’s 
 minister, Arittha, was deputed to proceed and invite her to 
 Ceylon for the purpose of initiating the women of the island ; 
 and at the same time he was directed to request the Emperor 
 Asoka to allow her to bring with her a branch of the sacred 
 bo-tree under which the Buddha attained perfection. This 
 plan was duly carried into effect ; the princess came, and with 
 her the branch from which grew the very tree which still 
 flourishes at Anuradhapura. 
 
 Glancing at the story of the Mahawansa, we shall find 
 no exception to the typical manner in which the native 
 historians embellished their descriptions of important events, 
 disguising every fact with a mantle of extravagant romance. 
 
 When it was decided that a branch of the original bo-tree 
 should be sent, superhuman aid was immediately forthcoming 
 for the construction of a golden vase for its transit. This vase 
 was moulded to a circumference of fourteen feet and a thickness 
 of eight inches. Then the monarch causing that vase, resplen- 
 dent like the meridian sun, to be brought, attended by the four 
 constituent hosts of his military array, and by the great body 
 of the priesthood, repaired to the great bo-tree, which was 
 decorated with every variety of ornament, glittering with the 
 variegated splendour of gems, decked with rows of streaming 
 banners, and laden with offerings of flowers of every hue. 
 Having bowed down with uplifted hands at eight places, and 
 
ENTRANCE TO THE BO-TREE ENCLOSURE. 
 
 “A relic which has perhaps attracted more attention than 
 any other — the sacred bo-tree. . . Its offspring have formed a 
 grove which overshadows the ruins of the once beautiful court 
 and the tiers of sculptured terraces which were built around it. 
 All that is left of the magnificent entrance to the enclosure is 
 see?i in our picture — a few bare monoliths and the two janitors 
 still at their post ." — Page 43. 
 
w© ■iPiani U3©=^r i is.iiii 3iss©3Li©gw®.is. 
 

 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 45 
 
 placed that precious vase on a golden stool, studded with 
 various gems, of such a height that the branch could easily be 
 reached, he ascended it himself for the purpose of obtaining 
 the topmost branch. Using vermilion in a golden pencil, and 
 streaking the branch therewith, he made this solemn declaration 
 and invocation : — “ If this right topmost branch from this bo- 
 tree is destined to depart hence to the land of Lanka, and if 
 my faith in the religion of Buddha be unshaken, let it, self- 
 severed, instantly transplant itself into this golden vase.” 
 
 The bo-branch, severing itself at the place where the streak 
 was made, rested on the top of the vase, which was filled 
 
 with scented oil . . . The sovereign on witnessing this miracle, 
 with uplifted hands, while yet standing on the golden stool, 
 set up a shout, which was echoed by the surrounding spec- 
 tators. The delighted priesthood expressed their joy by shouts 
 of “ sahdu,” and the crowding multitude, waving thousands of 
 cloths over their heads, cheered . . . The instant the great 
 
 bo-branch was planted in the vase, the earth quaked, and 
 numerous miracles were manifested. By the din of the sepa- 
 rately heard sound of various musical instruments — by the 
 “ sahdus ” shouted, as well by Devas and men of the human 
 world as by the host of Devas and Brahmas of the heavens 
 — by the howling of the elements, the roar of animals, the 
 
 screeches of birds, and the yells of the yakkas as well as other 
 
 fierce spirits, together with the crashing concussions of the 
 earthquake, they constituted one universal chaotic uproar. 
 
 The vase was then embarked on board a vessel in charge 
 of a large number of royal personages, and accompanied by 
 the monarch was taken down the Ganges to the sea, where 
 the Maharajah disembarked and “ stood on the shore with 
 uplifted hands ; and gazing on the departing branch, shed tears 
 in the bitterness of his grief. In the agony of parting, the 
 disconsolate Asoka, weeping and lamenting in loud sobs, 
 departed for his own capital.” 
 
46 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 After a miraculous passage the vessel arrived off the coast 
 of Ceylon and was discerned by the king, who was watching 
 for it from a magnificent • hall which had been erected on the 
 shore for the purpose. Upon seeing its approach he exclaimed: 
 “ This is the branch from the bo-tree at which Buddha attained 
 Buddhahood,” and rushing into the waves up to his neck, 
 he caused the great branch to be lifted up collectively by 
 sixteen castes of persons, and deposited it in the lordly hall 
 on the beach. 
 
 It was then placed on a superb car and accompanied by 
 the king was taken along a road sprinkled with white sand 
 and decorated with banners and garlands of flowers to the city 
 of Anuradhapura, which was reached on the fourteenth day. 
 At the hour when shadows are most extended the procession 
 entered the Mahamegha garden, and there the king himself 
 assisted to deposit the vase. In an instant the branch extri- 
 cated itself, and springing eighty cubits into the air, self-poised 
 and resplendent, it cast forth a halo of rays of six colours. 
 These enchanting rays illuminating the land ascended to the 
 Brahma heavens and continued visible till the sun had sunk 
 into the sea. 
 
 Afterwards, the branch descending under the constellation 
 “ Rohini,” re-entered the vase on the ground, and the earth 
 thereupon quaked. Its roots, rising up out of the mouth of 
 the vase and shooting downwards, descended, forcing it down 
 into the earth. The whole assembled populace made flower 
 and other offerings to the rooted branch. A heavy deluge of 
 rain fell around, and dense cold clouds completely enveloped it 
 in their snowy shrouds. At the end of the seventh day the 
 clouds dispersed and displayed the bo-tree with its halo. 
 
 This bo-tree, monarch of the forest, endowed with many 
 miraculous powers, has stood for ages in the delightful 
 
Plate XII. 
 
 ISURUMUNI Y A TEMPLE. 
 
 “ A very ancient and interesting foundation attributed to King 
 Tissa is the Isurumuniya Temple. This curious building, carved 
 out of the natural rock, occupies a romantic position. To the 
 right of the entrance will be noticed a large pokuna or bath. 
 This is in good preservation and quite fit for its original 
 purpose of ceremonial ablution, but the monks now resident have 
 placed it at the disposal of the crocodiles whom they encourage 
 by providing them with food.’’ — Page 47. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 47 
 
 Mahamegha garden in Lanka, promoting the spiritual wel- 
 fare of the inhabitants and the propagation of the true 
 religion.* 
 
 There is good reason to accept the main facts of the above 
 story, notwithstanding the fairy tale into which they have been 
 woven. The subsequent history of the venerable tree has been 
 less poetically chronicled, and details with great exactness the 
 functions held in its honour, together with reliable information 
 on matters connected with its careful preservation and the 
 adoration bestowed upon it. That it escaped destruction by 
 
 the enemies of Buddhism throughout many invasions is perhaps 
 attributable to the fact that the same species is held in 
 veneration by the Hindoos who, while destroying its surround- 
 ing monuments, would have spared the tree itself. 
 
 Another very ancient and interesting foundation attributed 
 to King Tissa is the Isurumuniya Temple (Plate xii). This 
 curious building, carved out of the natural rock, occupies a 
 romantic position. Before and behind lie large lotus ponds on 
 whose banks huge crocodiles are generally to be seen. We 
 may easily photograph them from a distance by means of a 
 telescope lens, but they object to be taken at any shorter 
 range. We may approach them with a hand camera, but 
 immediately it is presented to them they dart into the water 
 at lightning speed. These ponds are surrounded by woodland 
 scenery which presents many an artistic feature, but we must 
 be content with a near view of the temple itself. To the 
 right of the entrance will be noticed a large pokuna or bath. 
 This is in good preservation and quite fit for its original 
 purpose of ceremonial ablution, but the monks now resident 
 have placed it at the disposal of the crocodiles whom they 
 encourage by providing them with food. 
 
 * This account is condensed from Mr. Tumour’s translation of the early part of the 
 Mahawansa, written in the fifth century. 
 
4 8 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 The modern entrance to the shrine, with its tiled roof, is in 
 shocking contrast to the rock-building, and unfortunately this is 
 the case with all the ancient rock-temples of the island. 
 
 SCULPTURED TABLET AT ISURUMUNIYA. 
 
 The terraces which lead to the shrine are interesting for 
 their remarkable frescoes and sculptures in bas relief. There 
 are more than twenty of these in the walls, and all of them 
 are exceedingly grotesque. Several are in the form of tablets 
 like the specimen here shown. 
 
 In addition to the tablets, the natural rock was frescoed 
 in high relief, and although many of the figures have become 
 hardly discernible owing to the action of the climate during 
 so many centuries, others are still clearly defined and may 
 be seen in Plate xii with the aid of a convex lens. Above 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 49 
 
 the corner of the bath are the heads of four elephants, 
 and above them is a sitting figure holding a horse. Similarly 
 there are quaint carvings in many other parts. The doorway 
 is magnificent, and for beautiful carving equals anything to be 
 found in Ceylon. There is nothing of special interest about 
 the shrine. It has a figure of Buddha carved out of the 
 solid rock, but the rest of it has been decorated quite recently, 
 and like the entrance porch seems out of harmony with the 
 rest of the place. 
 
 The temple is unique in many respects and worthy of a 
 thorough exploration. It was discovered about thirty years ago 
 entirely hidden by jungle, and, of course, in a worse state 
 than at present. 
 
 There are doubtless many more remains of this period 
 lying buried in the jungles of Anuradhapura awaiting discovery, 
 but the next we shall tarry to investigate is the Brazen Palace, 
 a building of somewhat later date — the end of the second 
 century b.c. 
 
 In the interval between Tissa’s death and the building 
 of the Brazen Palace by Dutthagamini, a large number of 
 monasteries were erected and the community of monks greatly 
 increased. But even so early as this after the foundation of 
 the sacred city trouble came in the form of invasion from 
 Southern India. For some years the Tamils held the upper 
 hand, Elara, one of their princes, usurped the Singhalese 
 throne, and the Buddhist cause was in danger of complete 
 annihilation, when the Singhalese king Dutthagamini, stirred by 
 religious enthusiasm, made a desperate stand and recovered 
 his throne. The story of the final combat is worthy of our 
 notice as showing the character of the man who erected the 
 most wonderful of the Anuradhapura monuments. 
 
 It was in b.c. 164 that Dutthagamini, having grown weary 
 of the protracted struggles of his army which for some years 
 
50 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 he had led with varying fortune against Elara, challenged that 
 prince to single combat. Having given orders that no other 
 person should assail Elara, he mounted his favourite war 
 elephant, Kandula, and advanced to meet his adversary. 
 Elara hurled the first spear, which Dutthagamini successfully 
 evaded and at once made his own elephant charge with his 
 tusks the elephant of his opponent. After a desperate struggle 
 Elara and his elephant fell together. 
 
 Then followed an act of chivalry on the part of Duttha- 
 gamini so remarkable that it has been regarded with admiration 
 for twenty centuries. He caused Elara to be cremated on the 
 spot where he fell, and there built a tomb. He further 
 ordained that the tomb should receive honours, and that no 
 one should pass it without some mark of reverence ; and even 
 to this day these injunctions are to some extent regarded, 
 and the tomb is still marked by a huge mound. 
 
 With the death of Elara the power of the invaders was 
 broken, and the heroic Dutthagamini by his patriotism and 
 bravery restored to the country those conditions of peace and 
 prosperity under which Tissa had been enabled to inaugurate 
 the religious foundations already referred to. To the further 
 development of these he now applied himself. 
 
 The community of monks had enormously increased with 
 the popularity of the new religion, and Dutthagamini made their 
 welfare his chiefest care, erecting the Loha Pasada, known as 
 the Brazen Palace, for their accommodation. This remarkable 
 building rested on sixteen hundred monolithic columns of 
 granite, which are all that now remain ; their original decoration 
 has disappeared, and we see only that part of them which 
 has defied both time and a whole series of heretic invaders. 
 The basement or setting of this crowd of hoary relics is buried 
 deep in earth that has been for centuries accumulating over 
 the marble floors of the once resplendent halls, and all that 
 
REMAINS OF THE BRAZEN PALACE. 
 
 “ The community of monks had enormously increased with the 
 popularity of the new religion, and Dutthagamini made their 
 ivelfare his chiefest care, erecting the Loha Pasada, known as 
 the Brazen Palace, for their accommodation. This remarkable 
 building rested on sixteen hundred monolithic columns of granite, 
 which are all that now remain ; their original decoration has 
 disappeared, and we see only that part of them which has defied 
 both time and a whole series of heretic invaders.” — Page 50. 
 
i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
©if ’ffsni 
 

 
 
 
 
 
AN U RADII APURA. 
 
 5 1 
 
 is left to us are these pillars partially entombed, but still 
 standing about twelve feet out of the ground (Plate xiii.). 
 
 The history of this wonderful edifice is fully dealt with in 
 the native chronicles, whose accuracy as to the main features 
 is attested in many ways, and not least by the “ world of 
 stone columns ” that remain. 
 
 The following description is taken from the Mahawansa, 
 and was probably written about the fifth century a.d. from 
 records preserved in the monasteries : — 
 
 “ This palace was one hundred cubits square and of the 
 same height. In it there were nine stories, and in each of them 
 one hundred apartments. All these apartments were highly 
 finished with silver ; and the cornices thereof were embellished 
 with gems. The flower-ornaments thereof were also set with 
 gems, and the tinkling festoons were of gold. In this palace 
 there were a thousand dormitories having windows with orna- 
 ments which were bright as eyes. 
 
 “ The monarch caused a gilt hall to be constructed in the 
 middle of the palace. This hall was supported on golden 
 pillars, representing lions and other animals as well as the 
 devatas, and was ornamented with festoons of pearls all around. 
 Exactly in the middle of this hall, which was adorned with 
 the seven treasures, there was a beautiful and enchanting 
 ivory throne. On one side of this throne there was the emblem 
 of the sun in gold ; on another the moon in silver ; and on 
 the third the stars in pearls. From the golden corners in 
 various places in the hall, bunches of flowers made of various 
 gems were suspended ; and between golden creepers there were 
 representations of the Jatakas. On this most enchanting throne, 
 covered with a cloth of inestimable value, an ivory fan of ex- 
 quisite beauty was placed. On the footstool of the throne a pair 
 of slippers ornamented with beads, and above the throne glittered 
 the white canopy of dominion mounted with a silver handle. 
 
52 
 
 AN U RADII APURA. 
 
 “ The king caused the palace to be provided suitably with 
 couches and chairs of great value ; and in like manner with 
 carpets of woollen fabric ; even the laver and its ladle for 
 washing the hands and feet of the priests kept at the door of 
 the temple were made of gold. Who shall describe the other 
 articles used in that palace ? The building was covered 
 with brazen tiles ; hence it acquired the name of the ‘ Brazen 
 Palace.’ ” 
 
 The palace did not long remain as originally constructed by 
 Dutthagamini. In the reign of Sadhatissa, about b.c. 140, the 
 number of stories was reduced to seven ; and again, about two 
 centuries later, to five. Its history has been marked by many 
 vicissitudes, generally involving the destruction of some of its 
 upper stories. These attacks on the wonderful edifice were not 
 always due to the iconoclastic zeal of Brahman invaders, but 
 to a serious division in the ranks of the Buddhists themselves. 
 About the year b.c. 90 a question arose as to the authority of 
 certain doctrines which one party wished to be included in the 
 canon. The proposal was regarded as an innovation and strenu- 
 ously opposed by the orthodox fraternity, with the result that 
 those who adhered to the innovation formed themselves into a 
 rival body known as the Abhayagiriya. Hence the great Brazen 
 Palace, which had originally been the residence of the highest 
 ascetics, was dependent for its preservation on the varying 
 fortunes of its orthodox inhabitants. This division, which 
 marred the unity of Buddhism in Ceylon for fourteen 
 centuries, was perhaps at the height of its bitterness when 
 Maha Sen came to the throne at the beginning of the third 
 century. He adopted the heresy above referred to and pulled 
 down the Brazen Palace in order to enrich the rival monastery 
 with its treasures. This apostate king, however, afterwards 
 recanted, and in his penitence he restored the palace once more 
 to its ancient splendour, and rebuilt all the other monasteries 
 that he had destroyed. 
 
Plate XI V. 
 
 RUANWELI DAG ABA. 
 
 “ The new religion had filled its votaries with almost super- 
 human energy , and only the very hills themselves could compare 
 with the buildings which were the outward expression of their 
 devotion. Foundations were laid to the depth of one hundred 
 feet and composed of layers of crystallised stone and plates of 
 iron and copper alternately placed and cemented ; and upon such 
 baseenents were piled millions of tons of masonry. We see the 
 remains of one of these stupendous edifices in the Ruanweli or 
 gold-dust dagaba.” — Page 53- 
 

 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 53 
 
 From the nature of its construction as well as the intrinsic 
 value of its decorative materials, the Brazen Palace has always 
 been more exposed to spoliation than the shrines and other 
 buildings whose colossal proportions astonish us as we wander 
 through the sacred city. 
 
 A more enduring and not less remarkable piece of work 
 of Dutthagamini has come down to us. The new religion had 
 filled its votaries with almost superhuman energy, and only 
 the very hills themselves could compare with the buildings 
 which were the outward expression of their devotion. Founda- 
 tions were laid to the depth of one hundred feet and composed 
 of layers of crystallised stone and plates of iron and copper 
 alternately placed and cemented ; and upon such basements 
 were piled millions of tons of masonry. 
 
 We see the remains of one of these stupendous edifices in 
 the Ruanweli or gold-dust dagaba. Its present appearance 
 from a distance, from which our picture is taken, is that of a 
 conical shaped hill of nearly two hundred feet high, covered 
 with trees and surmounted by a tiny spire. It is, however, 
 a mass of solid brickwork (Plates xiv and xv). 
 
 Time and the frequent attacks of enemies have to a great 
 extent obliterated the original design, but there is sufficient of 
 the structure still remaining to verify the accounts of the ancient 
 writers who have transmitted to us full details of the building: 
 as it was erected in the second century b.c. We should not 
 readily believe these accounts without the evidence of the 
 ruins. It is as well, therefore, to see what remains before we 
 glance at the first written story of the dagaba. 
 
 The ruins of the guardhouse in the foreground of the 
 picture at once suggest an entrance of stately proportions. 
 The pillars are arranged in six parallel rows so that woodfen 
 beams might be laid upon them longitudinally and transversely 
 for the support of the ornamental open roof which was 
 
54 
 
 ANUKADHAPURA. 
 
 undoubtedly there. The boldly sculptured lions of the left 
 front give a clue to the style of ornament adopted. 
 
 Upon traversing the passage, which we notice is suffi- 
 ciently large to admit elephants, we arrive at an extensive 
 court or platform nearly one hundred feet wide and extend- 
 ing round the whole dagaba. This is the path used for 
 processions in which a large number of elephants frequently 
 took part. From this rises another immense square platform 
 
 measuring about five hundred feet each way and made to 
 appear as if supported by about four hundred elephants. 
 These elephants form the retaining wall ; they were modelled 
 in brickwork and placed less than two feet apart ; only their 
 heads and fore legs appear ; their height is about nine feet. 
 Although all that have been excavated are in a terribly 
 dilapidated condition (see Plate xv), there are still evidences 
 here and there of the original treatment and finish. We 
 
 learn from the native records that they were all coated with 
 a hard and durable white enamel called chunam, and that 
 each had ivory tusks. In protected places portions of the 
 original surface still remain, and the holes in the jaws where 
 the tusks were inserted are still visible. 
 
 There are also traces of ornamental trappings which were exe- 
 cuted in bold relief ; they differ considerably on each elephant, 
 suggesting very great ingenuity on the part of the modellers. 
 
 These two platforms form the foundation constructed to 
 sustain the ponderous mass of the solid brick shrine which 
 was built upon it to the height of two hundred and seventy 
 feet, with an equal diameter at the base of the dome. 
 
 The upper platform from which the dagaba rises covers an 
 area of about five acres, and is paved with stone slabs ; these 
 share the general ruin, due more to ruthless destruction than 
 the ravages of time. We notice that repairs have been effected 
 by fragments of stone taken from other fine buildings ; for 
 
Plate XV. 
 
 RUANWELI DAGABA 
 
 SHOWING THE ELEPHANT WALL PARTIALLY EXCAVATED. 
 
 “ This plate shows how formidable is the business of excavation. 
 The platforms had been buried to the depth shown by the heaps 
 of earth that still surround them and hide the greater portion 
 of the elephant wall.” — Page 55. 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA . 
 
 55 
 
 there are doorsteps, altar slabs, carved stones, of all shapes 
 and sizes, some incised with very quaint devices of evident 
 antiquity, and even huge monoliths from the thresholds of 
 other buildings have been dragged hither to supply the 
 destroyed portions of the original paving. 
 
 MINIATURE DAGABA ON THE RUANWELI PLATFORM. 
 
 The objects of interest surrounding the dagaba are very 
 numerous. There are four ornamental altars, and various 
 parts belonging to them scattered everywhere : carved panels, 
 
 pedestals, scrolls, capitals, friezes, stone tables, elephants’ heads, 
 great statues of Buddhas and kings — all these have been exca- 
 vated within the last twenty-five years. 
 
 Plate xv shows how formidable is the business of excavation. 
 The platforms had been buried to the depth shown by the 
 heaps of earth that still surround them and hide the greater 
 portion of the elephant wall. 
 
 The same features are observable in the above engraving. 
 
56 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 Here upon the platform we notice in its original position 
 a miniature dagaba, of which there were probably many placed 
 around the great shrine as votive offerings. This specimen 
 with the platform below it is composed of a weighty monolith, 
 and does not appear to have been disturbed. 
 
 In the far distance is a statue with a pillar of stone at the 
 back of it. This is a statue in dolomite of King Batiya- 
 tissa I., who came to the throne b.c. 19. It is eight feet 
 
 high, much weather worn, and full of fractures. 
 
 Near it are four other statues placed with their backs to the 
 dagaba (see Plate xvi), three of them representing Buddhas, 
 and the fourth King Dutthagam.ini. They originally stood in 
 the recesses of a building on the platform, and were dug out 
 during the excavations. They are all sculptured in dolomite ; 
 the folds of the priestly robes with their sharp and shallow 
 flutings are very beautifully executed. They were probably 
 once embellished with jewels, the pupils of the eyes consisting 
 of precious stones, and the whole figures being coloured in 
 exact imitation of life. 
 
 The figure on the extreme left is that of the king, who is 
 wonderfully preserved considering his great antiquity. The 
 statue is ten feet high, and must have looked very imposing 
 in its original state, the jewelled collars being gilt, and their 
 pearls and gems coloured and polished ; even now the features 
 wear a pleasant expression. 
 
 The hall where these figures were unearthed was probably 
 built specially for their reception. It is close to their present 
 position, and its threshold is marked by a plain moonstone. 
 
 Within a few yards of the statues stands a very fine slab 
 engraved in Singhalese characters (see Plate xvii). This seems 
 to have formed part of the wall at the side of the porch of 
 the hall, and it is still erect between two of the original pillars, 
 
STATUES OF KING D U TT H AG A MINI AND 
 THREE BUDDHAS. 
 
 “ There are four statues placed with their backs to the 
 dagaba, three of them representing Buddhas, and the fourth 
 King Dutthagamini. . . They are all sculptured in dolomite ; 
 the folds of the priestly robes with their sharp and shallow 
 fittings are very beautifully executed. . . The figure on the 
 extreme left is that of the king, who is wonderfully preserved 
 considering his great antiquity — P age 56 . 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 57 
 
 being very firmly fixed in a bed of brickwork. The engraved 
 face would thus have been inside the portico. Its date is the 
 latter part of the twelfth century, and it gives some account 
 of various good deeds of the King Kirti Nassanka, who was 
 famous for his attention to the repair and maintenance of 
 religious edifices. After reciting that he “ decorated the city 
 like a city of the gods,” it ends with an appeal to future 
 princes to protect and preserve the viharas, the people, and the 
 religion. 
 
 To give a complete description of the Ruanweli dagaba 
 and of the numerous ruined halls, altars and monuments that 
 form part of or are connected with it would fill a volume at 
 least as large as the present. We must, however, remark 
 briefly on a few more points of special interest. 
 
 The three terraces or pasadas round the base of the bell 
 are about seven feet wide, and were used as ambulatories by 
 the worshippers. The uppermost terrace is ornamented with 
 fore-quarters of kneeling elephants to the number of about one 
 hundred and fifty. These are placed on the outer edge at 
 regular intervals all round the dagaba. From the terraces the 
 great hemispherical mass of brickwork was carried to the 
 height of two hundred and seventy feet, including the tee or 
 small spire. Its present appearance, as may be seen in 
 Plate xiv, is a shapeless mound covered with trees sprung 
 from stray seeds ; but beneath those trees are the millions of 
 bricks which were carefully and religiously laid two thousand 
 years ago. 
 
 The lower part of the bell has been restored to some 
 extent by pious pilgrims who have from time to time 
 expended considerable sums of money upon it ; but the race 
 that could make these immense shrines what they once were 
 has vanished, and with it the conditions which rendered such 
 works possible. 
 
 H 
 
5 § 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 The principal ornaments of the dagaba were the chapels 
 or altars at the four cardinal points. All these are in a very 
 ruinous condition, portions of the friezes carved in quaint 
 designs being strewn about, as also are railings, mouldings, 
 brackets, vases, and sculptures of various kinds. One of 
 these structures, however, has been restored as far as possible 
 from the fragments found lying about at the time of its 
 excavation. There are traces here and there of enamel and 
 colour, especially upon the figure subjects, and it is supposed 
 from this that the whole surface of the altars was covered 
 with that wonderfully durable white enamel called chunam, 
 and that they were made attractive to the native eye by 
 gaudy colouring of the figures and cornices. 
 
 In addition to the interesting architectural features of the 
 shrine there are numerous inscriptions in Nagara, the original 
 Singhalese character, relating to grants of land and other 
 matters connected with the dagaba. The ancient writings 
 refer to a number of monastic edifices that surrounded it. 
 Of these there are traces ; but, since we find even lofty 
 platforms buried in earth and overgrown with grass and 
 trees, the exploration of smaller buildings is easily under- 
 stood to be a difficult matter. How extensive they must 
 have been we can imagine from the fact that many thou- 
 sands of monks were attached to the monasteries of each of 
 the large dagabas ; and for their personal accommodation, 
 not to speak of the requirements of their religious ceremonies, 
 a vast range of buildings must have been necessary. 
 
 Having now glanced at the present condition of the 
 ruined shrine of Ruanweli, we will now turn to the Maha- 
 wansa for some particulars of its origin. The chronicler, 
 naturally enough, attributes to a deity the supply of the 
 necessary materials ; but the account of the construction is 
 reasonable, and is in many particulars borne out by what 
 we see at the present day. To support a solid mass of 
 
Plate XVII. 
 
 INSCRIPTION OF NESSANKA MALLA. 
 
 “A very fine slab engraved in Singhalese characters. . . Its 
 date is the latter part of the twelfth century, and it gives some 
 account of various good deeds of the King Kirti Nessanka, who 
 was fatuous for his attention to the repair and maintenance of 
 religious edifices. After reciting that he ‘■decorated the city 
 like a city of the gods,’ it ends with an appeal to future princes 
 to protect and preserve the viharas, the people, and the religion.” 
 —Page 57. 
 
* 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
msomsiP'B’EOS'r ©if ssmsAiKnisA mailila. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 59 
 
 masonry two hundred and seventy feet high and nearly a 
 thousand in circumference needed foundations of an extra- 
 ordinary character, and the attention devoted to this unseen 
 part of the work was justified by results. Its success is 
 evidenced by the fact that not even now has any part of 
 the foundation shown the slightest sign of subsidence. 
 
 After the necessary excavation had been made, “ The 
 monarch Dutthagamini,” says the chronicle, “ who could 
 discriminate the advantages and disadvantages of things, 
 causing round stones to be brought by means of his soldiers, 
 had them well beaten down with pounders, and to ensure 
 greater durability to the foundation he caused that layer of 
 stones to be trampled by enormous elephants, whose feet were 
 protected by leathern shoes. He had clay spread upon the 
 layer of stones, and upon this he laid bricks ; over them a 
 
 coat of cement ; over that a layer of stones ; over them a 
 
 network of iron ; over that a layer of phalika stone, and 
 over that he laid a course of common stones. Above the 
 layer of common stones he laid a plate of brass, eight inches 
 thick, embedded in a cement made of the gum of the 
 kappitha tree, diluted in the water of the small red cocoanut. 
 Over that the lord of the chariots laid a plate of silver 
 
 seven inches thick, cemented in vermilion paint mixed in 
 
 tila oil. 
 
 “ The monarch, in his zealous devotion to the cause of 
 religion, having made these preparatory arrangements at the 
 
 spot where the Mahathupa was to be built, thus addressed 
 the priesthood : ‘ Revered lords ! initiating the construction of 
 the great cetiya, I shall to-morrow lay the festival-brick of 
 
 the edifice : let all our priesthood assemble there. Let all 
 
 my pious subjects, provided with offerings, bringing fragrant 
 flowers and other oblations, repair to-morrow to the site ot 
 
 the Mahathupa.’ 
 
6o 
 
 AN U RADII APURA. 
 
 “ The ruler of the land, ever mindful of the welfare of 
 the people, for their accommodation provided at the four 
 gates of the city numerous bath-attendants, barbers, and 
 dressers, as well as clothing, garlands, and savoury provisions. 
 The inhabitants of the capital as well as of the provinces 
 repaired to the thupa. 
 
 “ The lord of the land, guarded by his officers of state 
 decked in all the insignia of their gala dress, himself capti- 
 vating all by the splendour of his royal equipment, surrounded 
 by a throng of dancing and singing women — rivalling in 
 beauty the celestial virgins — decorated in their various em- 
 bellishments, attended by forty thousand men, accompanied 
 by a full band of musicians, repaired to the site, as if he 
 had himself been the king of the Devas.” 
 
 Next, the chronicler with evident exaggeration describes the 
 throngs of priests who attended the ceremony from various 
 Indian monasteries. After running up their number to nearly 
 a million, he seems to come to the limit of his notation, 
 and omits his estimate of the full number of Ceylon monks. 
 The account then continues: “These priests, leaving a space 
 in the centre for the king, encircling the site of the cetiya, 
 in due order stood around. The king, having entered the 
 space and seeing the priesthood who had thus arranged 
 themselves, bowed down to them with profound obeisance ; 
 and overjoyed at the spectacle, making offerings of fragrant 
 garlands and walking twice round, he stationed himself in the 
 centre on the spot where the filled chalice was placed with 
 all honours. This monarch supremely compassionate, and 
 regardful equally of the welfare of all beings, delighting in 
 the task assigned to him, caused a minister of noble descent, 
 well attired, to hold the end of a fine rod of silver that was 
 fitted into a golden pivot, and began to make him walk round 
 therewith on the prepared ground, with the intent to describe 
 a great circle to mark the base of the cetiya. Thereupon a 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 61 
 
 thera of great spiritual discernment, by name Siddhattha, who 
 had an insight into the future, dissuaded the king, saying to 
 himself, ‘ the king is about to build a great thupa indeed ; 
 so great that while yet it is incomplete he would die : 
 moreover, if the thupa be a very great one it would be 
 exceedingly difficult to keep in repair.’ For these reasons, 
 looking into futurity, he prohibited it being constructed of 
 that magnitude. The king, although anxious to build it of 
 that size, by the advice of the priesthood and at the sug- 
 gestion of the theras, adopting the proposal of the thera 
 Siddhattha, described a circle of more moderate dimensions. 
 The indefatigable monarch placed in the centre eight golden 
 and eight silver vases, and surrounded them with one thou- 
 sand and eight fresh vases and with cloth in quantities of one 
 hundred and eight pieces. He then caused eight excellent 
 bricks to be placed separately, one in each of the eight 
 quarters, and causing a minister, who was selected and fully 
 arrayed for the purpose, to take up one that was marked with 
 divers signs of prosperity, he laid the first auspicious stone in 
 the fine cement on the eastern quarter; and lo! when jessamine 
 flowers were offered thereunto, the earth quaked.” 
 
 When the pediment was complete the very important part 
 of constructing the relic chamber was proceeded with. This was 
 placed in the centre and afterwards covered by the mighty mass 
 of brickwork that forms the dagaba. 
 
 The Mahawansa gives the following minute description of 
 the formation of the receptacle and the articles placed in it 
 
 prior to the installation of the relics : — 
 
 Six beautiful cloud-coloured stones were procured, in length 
 and breadth eighty cubits and eight inches thick. One of 
 these slabs was placed upon the flower-offering ledge from 
 
 which the dome was to rise, and four were placed on the 
 
 four sides in the shape of a box, the remaining one being 
 
62 
 
 AN U RADII APURA. 
 
 placed aside to be afterwards used as the cover. “ For the 
 centre of this relic receptacle the king caused to be made 
 an exquisitely beautiful bo-tree in precious metals. The 
 height of the stem was eighteen cubits ; the root was coral, 
 and was fixed in emerald ground. The stem was of pure 
 silver ; its leaves glittered with gems. The faded leaves were 
 of gold ; its fruit and tender leaves were of coral. On its 
 
 stem there were representations of the eight auspicious objects, 
 
 plants and beautiful rows of quadrupeds and geese. Above 
 this, around the edges of a gorgeous cloth canopy, there was 
 a fringe with a gold border tinkling with pearls, and in 
 
 various parts garlands of flowers were suspended. At the 
 tour corners of the canopy hung bunches composed of 
 
 pearls, each of them valued at nine lacs. Emblems of the 
 sun, moon, and stars, and the various species of lotuses, 
 represented in gems, were appended to the canopy . . . . 
 
 At the foot of the bo-tree were arranged rows of vases filled 
 with the various flowers represented in jewellery and with 
 the four kinds of perfumed waters. 
 
 “ On a golden throne, erected on the eastern side of the 
 bo-tree, the king placed a resplendent golden image of 
 Buddha, in the attitude in which he received buddhahood at 
 the foot of the bo-tree at Uruvela in the kingdom of 
 Magadha. The features and limbs of that image were repre- 
 sented in their several appropriate colours in exquisitely 
 resplendent gems. Near the image of Buddha stood the 
 figure of Mahabrahma bearing the silver canopy of dominion ; 
 Sakka, the inaugurator, with his conch ; Pancasikha, harp in 
 hand ; Kalanga, together with his singers and dancers ; the 
 hundred-armed Mara mounted on his elephant and surrounded 
 by his host of attendants.” The above was the arrangement 
 of the eastern side. On the other three sides altars were 
 formed in an equally elaborate and costly manner. Groups 
 of figures represented numerous events in the life of Buddha 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 63 
 
 and his various deeds. There was Brahma in the act of 
 supplicating Buddha to expound his doctrines ; the advance of 
 King Bimbisara to meet Buddha ; the lamentation of Devas 
 and men on the demise of Buddha, and a large number of 
 other notable occurrences. Flashes of lightning were repre- 
 sented on the cloud-coloured stone walls illuminating and 
 setting off the apartment. 
 
 What the relics were that this elaborate receptacle was 
 made to receive is not quite clear, but some were obtained, 
 
 and for the ceremony of translation a canopy of cloth 
 
 ornamented with tassels of gems and borders of pearls was 
 arranged above the chamber. On the day of the full moon 
 the monarch enshrined the relics. “ He was,” says the 
 
 Mahawansa, “attended by bands of singers and dancers 
 
 of every description ; by his guard of warriors fully capari- 
 soned ; by his great military array, consisting of elephants, 
 horses, and chariots, resplendent by the perfection of their 
 equipment ; mounting his state carriage, to which four per- 
 fectly white steeds of the Sindhava breed were harnessed, 
 
 he stood under the white canopy of dominion bearing a 
 golden casket for the reception of the relics. Sending forward 
 the superb state elephant, Kandula, fully caparisoned to lead 
 the procession, men and women carrying one thousand and 
 eight exquisitely replenished vases encircled the carriage. 
 Females bearing the same number of baskets of flowers and 
 of torches, and youths in their full dress bearing a thousand 
 and eight superb banners of various colours surrounded 
 the car.” Amidst such a scene the monarch Dutthagamini 
 descended into the receptacle carrying the casket of relics 
 
 on his head and deposited it on the golden altar. He then 
 
 ordered that the people who desired to do so might place 
 
 other relics on the top of the shrine of the principal relics 
 before the masonry dome was erected, and thousands availed 
 themselves of the permission. 
 
64 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 Now the work of building again proceeded, and the 
 massive dagaba was carried near to completion when King 
 Dutthagamini fell sick. The native chronicle tells a pathetic 
 story of the last scene, describing how the dying monarch 
 was carried to a spot where, in his last moments, he 
 could gaze on his greatest works — the Lohapasada and the 
 Ruanweli Dagaba. Lying on a marble couch, which is 
 pointed out to the visitor at the present day, he was com- 
 forted by hearing read out an enumeration of his own many 
 pious acts. His favourite priest, who had been a great 
 
 warrior and had been at his side in twenty-eight battles, 
 
 was now seated in front of him. The scene is thus referred 
 to in the Mahawansa : “The king thus addressed his 
 
 favourite priest: ‘In times past, supported by thee, one of 
 
 my warriors, I engaged in battle ; now, single-handed, I 
 have commenced my conflict with death. I shall not be 
 allowed to overcome this antagonist.’ To this the thera 
 replied : ‘ Ruler of men, compose thyself. Without subduing 
 
 sin, the dominion of the foe, the power of the foe, 
 
 death is invincible. For by our divine teacher it has been 
 announced that all that is launched into this transitory 
 
 world will most assuredly perish ; the whole creation therefore 
 is perishable. The principle of dissolution uninfluenced by 
 the impulses of shame or fear exerts its power, even over 
 Buddha. Hence, impress thyself with the conviction that 
 
 created things are subject to dissolution, afflicted with griefs, 
 and destitute of immortality. In thy existence immediately 
 preceding the present one, thy ambition to do good was 
 truly great ; for when the world of the gods was then even 
 
 nigh unto thee, and thou couldst have been born therein, 
 thou didst renounce that heavenly beatitude, and repairing 
 thither thou didst perform manifold acts of piety in various 
 ways. Thy object in reducing this realm under one sove- 
 reignty was that thou mightest restore the glory of the faith. 
 My Lord, call to thy recollection the many acts of piety 
 
Plate XVIII. 
 
 REMAINS NEAR THE RUANWELI DAGABA. 
 
 “ Clusters of pillars with exquisitely carved capitals, as perfect 
 as if they had recently left the hands of the sculptor, appear 
 interspersed with the groups of trees that have been spared for 
 picturesque effect — Page 66. 
 

 
 
 

 SSHArn Ic’ffiiH JEWESS? WHIM 
 

 
AN U RAD HA PUR A. 
 
 65 
 
 performed from that period to the present day, and conso- 
 lation will be inevitably afforded to thee.’ . . . The 
 
 monarch having derived consolation replied to the thera : 
 
 ‘ For four-and-twenty years have I been the patron of the 
 priesthood ; may even my corpse be subservient to the 
 protection of the ministers of the faith ! Do ye therefore 
 consume the corpse of him who has been as submissive as 
 
 a slave to the priesthood in some conspicuous spot in the 
 yard of the Uposatha Idall within sight of the Mahathupa.’ 
 Having expressed these wishes, he addressed his younger 
 brother : ‘ My beloved Tissa, do thou complete, in the most 
 efficient and perfect manner all that remains to be done at 
 the Mahathupa ; present flower offerings morning and even- 
 ing ; keep up three times a day the sacred service, with the 
 full band of musicians. Whatever may have been the offer- 
 ings prescribed by me to be made to the religion of the 
 deity of happy advent, do thou, my child, keep up without 
 any diminution. My beloved, in no respects in the offices 
 rendered to the priesthood let there be any intermission.’ 
 
 Having thus admonished him, the ruler of the land dropped 
 into silence.” 
 
 Saddha Tissa carefully carried out the dying wishes of his 
 brother and completed the pinnacle. He also decorated the 
 
 enclosing wall with elephants, and enamelled the dome with 
 chunam. 
 
 Each of several succeeding kings added something to the 
 
 decoration, and erected more buildings in the precincts of the 
 great shrine. It is recorded of King Batiya Tissa, who 
 reigned between 19 b.c. and 9 a.d., and whose statue near the 
 dagaba we have already noticed, that on one occasion he 
 festooned the dagaba with jessamine from pedestal to pinnacle ; 
 and on another he literally buried it in a heap of flowers, 
 which he kept watered by means of machinery constructed for 
 the purpose. Another king is said to have placed a diamond 
 hoop upon the spire. 
 
66 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 Whatever percentage we may be inclined to deduct from 
 these accounts, there is no doubt that great wealth was 
 lavished on the structure for many years after its erection. In 
 later times, when the enemies of Buddhism obtained possession 
 of the city, the great dagaba suffered severely ; on many occa- 
 sions it was partially destroyed, and again restored when the 
 power of the Singhalese was temporarily in the ascendant. The 
 last attempt to destroy it is said to have taken place in the 
 thirteenth century. 
 
 After our somewhat protracted examination of the Ruanweli, 
 we stroll away from its precincts into one of the open stretches 
 of park-like land that have been reclaimed from forest and 
 jungle. The gardens that were once an especially beautiful 
 feature of the ancient city were but a few years ago overgrown 
 with trees, and dense thicket had veiled every vestige of 
 brick and stone. Recent clearings have, however, disclosed 
 numberless remains which form a unique feature in the land- 
 scape. Clusters of pillars with exquisitely carved capitals, as 
 perfect as if they had recently left the hands of the sculptor, 
 appear interspersed with the groups of trees that have been 
 spared for picturesque effect. Here and there numbers of 
 carved monoliths are lying prostrate, bearing evidence of wilful 
 destruction. As we wander through one of these charming 
 glades we are attracted especially by the group of pillars 
 illustrated in Plate xviii. In almost every instance of such 
 groups the ornamental wings on the landing at the top of the 
 steps are exposed, although the steps and mouldings of the 
 bases are buried in earth. In the illustration here given it will 
 be noticed that these wing-stones, covered with makara and 
 scroll, vie with the carved capitals in their excellent preserva- 
 tion ; the fabulous monster forming the upper portion and the 
 lion on the side are still perfect in every particular. 
 
 It is probable that these buildings consisted of an entrance 
 hall and a shrine, and that they were purely devoted to religious 
 
Plate XIX. 
 
 P O K U N A. 
 
 “ Another very interesting feature of the cleared spaces is the 
 large number of stone -built baths or tanks called 1 pokunas.' 
 There are so many, and they vary so much in architectural 
 treatment , that they must , have added greatly to the beautiful 
 aspect of the city ." — Page 67. 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPUKA. 
 
 6 7 
 
 purposes although they are popularly supposed to have been 
 royal pavilions. 
 
 Another very interesting feature of the cleared spaces is the 
 large number of stone-built baths or tanks called “ pokunas.” 
 There are so many, and they vary so much in architectural 
 treatment, that they must have added greatly to the beautiful 
 aspect of the city. The specimen illustrated in Plate xix 
 has been recently restored, and gives a good idea of the 
 original appearance, although much of the ornamental portion 
 is missing. It will be noticed that on one side there is a 
 stone-paved terrace, within which is an inner bath. This inner 
 bath was doubtless sheltered by a roof supported upon stone 
 pillars, of which there are several fractured pieces and socket- 
 holes remaining. The inner bath leads into a chamber like 
 the opposite one visible in the picture. The walls of these 
 chambers are beautifully-worked single stones, and the tops are 
 covered by enormous slabs of a similar kind, measuring twelve 
 by seven feet. 
 
 Wherever clearings are made pokunas are sure to be un- 
 earthed. The most interesting example yet discovered is the 
 kuttam-pokuna or twin bath (Plate xx). This consists of a 
 
 couple of tanks placed end to end, measuring in all about 
 two hundred and twenty by fifty feet. The left side of 
 the picture serves to show the condition in which the baths 
 were when discovered, but on the right we see that some 
 
 considerable restoration has been effected. The materials are 
 generally found quite complete although dislodged and out of 
 place. 
 
 Our photograph was taken in January, before the end of 
 the rainy season, and in consequence the tank appears too full 
 of water to admit of the structure being seen at any con- 
 siderable depth, and some verbal description is therefore 
 
 necessary. 
 
68 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 The sides are built in projecting tiers of large granite 
 blocks so planned as to form terraces all round the tank at 
 various depths, the maximum depth being about twenty feet. 
 Handsome flights of steps descend to the terraces, some of 
 them having carved scrolls on the wings. The bold mouldings 
 of the parapet give an exceedingly fine effect to the sides. 
 There are signs of rich carvings in many parts of the structure, 
 but every portion is too much defaced to trace the designs. 
 
 There is something very weird about these remnants of 
 ancient luxury hidden in the lonely forest. In the dry season 
 of the year, when the ruined terraces of the kuttam-pokuna can 
 be seen to the depth of sixteen feet, this scene is perhaps 
 
 the most impressive of any in Anuradhapura. 
 
 We cannot help reflecting, too, that the famous baths of the 
 Roman emperors were constructed contemporaneously with 
 these, and that while those of Caracalla and Diocletian, being 
 built of brick, have crumbled now beyond repair, the pictu- 
 resque and elegant baths of Dutthagamini with their beautiful 
 terraces and stairways of granite can with little trouble be 
 
 restored to their pristine condition. 
 
 It is impossible to arrive at the exact purpose of the 
 various forms of baths found at Anuradhapura. Some were 
 
 doubtless attached to the monasteries and used exclusively 
 
 for ceremonial ablutions ; some were private baths of the royal 
 family ; others were possibly for public use, and many served 
 as receptacles of the drinking water of the inhabitants. All of 
 them were fed from artificial lakes outside the city. 
 
 We have already referred to the usurpation of the throne of 
 Ceylon by the Tamil invader, Elara, and to the combat with 
 Dutthagamini, which resulted in the defeat and death of the 
 usurper. Strange as it may appear, the victor, who had merely 
 regained his birthright, was constrained to make atonement for 
 bloodshed as well as the natural thank offering for his victory, 
 
Plate XX. 
 
 KUTTAM-POKUNA. 
 
 “ There is something very weird about these remnants of ancient 
 luxury hidden in the lonely forest. In the dry season of the year, 
 when the ruined terraces of the kuttam-pokuna can be seen to the 
 depth of sixteen feet, this scene is perhaps the most impressive of 
 any in Anuradhapura .” — Page 68. 
 
TKW^ , tf^ffi=2P®IEWS3’. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 6g 
 
 and to this we owe the building of the great monastery of the 
 Brazen Palace and the Ruanweli Dagaba. We find a curious 
 repetition of history in the occurrences that took place about 
 thirty years after his death, when the old enemy again got the 
 upper hand. The king, Walagambahu, was deposed, and the 
 usurper, Pulahatta, assumed the sovereignty. Fifteen more 
 years of alien rule ensued, during which no less than four of the 
 usurpers were murdered by their successor, until Walagambahu 
 vanquished the fifth, Dathiya. He then proceeded to raise a 
 monastery and shrine that should eclipse in magnitude those 
 constructed by Dutthagamini under similar circumstances. 
 
 The buildings of the monastery have vanished, save only 
 the boundary walls and the stumps of its pillars which are 
 found in large numbers ; but the Abhayagiriya Dagaba 
 (Plate xxi), of its kind the greatest monument in the world, 
 has defied all the forces of destruction, both of man and 
 
 nature, and although forsaken for many centuries during which 
 it received its vesture of forest, there is still a very large 
 
 proportion of the original building left. The native annals 
 give as the measurement of the Abhayagiriya a height of 
 
 four hundred and five feet, or fifty feet higher than St. Paul’s 
 Cathedral, with three hundred and sixty feet as the diameter 
 of the dome. The height is now greatly reduced, but the base 
 covers about eight acres, and sufficiently attests the enormous 
 size of its superstructure. The lower part of the dome is 
 
 buried under the debris of bricks which must have been hurled 
 from above in infidel attempts at destruction. Beneath this 
 mass the remains of the numerous edifices, altars, and statues, 
 which surrounded the dagaba are for the most part concealed, 
 but excavations at various periods have disclosed some ruins of 
 considerable interest, notably the altars at the four cardinal 
 points, one of which is visible in our Illustration (Plate xxi). 
 These altars are very similar to those of the Ruanweli 
 Dagaba but much larger and more elaborate in detail, being 
 
7 o 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 about fifty feet in breadth. Many of the carvings are in 
 remarkable preservation considering their vast age and the 
 perils they have experienced. Between the stelae were the usual 
 
 strings of carved or- 
 naments, with an 
 additional one not 
 found elsewhere com- 
 posed of running 
 figures representing 
 horses, elephants, 
 bulls, and lions. 
 
 The stelae, of which 
 there are two at each 
 end, are elaborately 
 carved, as will be 
 seen from the ac- 
 companying engrav- 
 ings ; the fronts being 
 adorned with a floral 
 decoration springing 
 from a vase, and 
 surmounted by three 
 lions. The return 
 faces are formed of 
 two panels. The 
 upper has a carved 
 male figure, with a 
 five-headed cobra as 
 a sort of halo, hold- 
 
 EAST END OF SOUTHERN ALTAR OF ABHAYAGIRIYA . 
 
 dagaba. ing flowers in the 
 
 right hand and rest- 
 ing the left on his hip. In the lower panel is a female , the 
 upper part of whose body is bare, with the exception of some 
 jewellery, while below the waist the limbs are draped in a 
 
Plate XXI. 
 
 ABHAYAGIRIYA DAGABA. 
 
 “ The Ahhayagiriya is of its kind the greatest monument in 
 the world. The native annals give as the measurement of the 
 Ahhayagiriya a height of four hundred and five feet , or fifty feet 
 higher than St. Patel’s Cathedral, with three hundred and sixty 
 feet as the diameter of the dome. The height is now greatly 
 reduced, hut the base covers about eight acres, and sufficiently 
 attests the enormous size of its superstructure.” — Page 70. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 transparent robe ; the ankles are encircled by bangles ; and the 
 palm of her right hand supports a vessel, containing a 
 lotus-bud. Adjoining the stelae is a sculptured seven-headed 
 cobra, the carving of 
 which reproduces the 
 scaly nature of the 
 skin with remarkable 
 fidelity. 
 
 The west end of 
 the altar is finished 
 in a similar manner, 
 but here the lower 
 part of the outer 
 stele is destroyed ; 
 the upper panel of 
 the return face con- 
 tains a more elabo- 
 rately executed male 
 figure, sumptuously 
 attired and bedecked 
 with jewels. There 
 was doubtless the 
 counterpart female 
 figure below, but it 
 has been entirely de- 
 molished. 
 
 The eastern al- 
 tar, the last to be 
 excavated, is the 
 most interesting and 
 covered. 
 
 WEST END OF SOUTHERN ALTAR OF ABHAYAGIRIYA 
 DAGABA. 
 
 perfect of all that have yet been dis 
 
 This dagaba, like the Ruanweli, stands on a square paved 
 platform with sides of about six hundred feet in length, with 
 
7 2 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 the usual elephant path below and guard houses at each of 
 the four entrances. Doubtless a very large number of buildings 
 were erected -on the platform, but scarcely a vestige of these 
 
 remains. If, how- 
 ever, the debris is 
 ever cleared as far 
 as the pasadas which 
 encircled the base of 
 the dome very in- 
 teresting discoveries 
 may be expected. 
 It will be remem- 
 bered that Maha 
 Sen enriched the 
 Abhayagiriya with 
 spoils from the Bra- 
 zen Palace, and it 
 is therefore likely 
 that it was more 
 elaborately embel- 
 lished than any 
 other dagaba. 
 
 Perhaps no ruin 
 at Anuradhapura 
 gives a more com- 
 plete idea of the 
 utter transience of 
 every perishable part 
 
 CARVED STELE AT ABHAYAGIRIYA DAGABA. °f a building than 
 
 the so called Pea- 
 cock Palace (Plate xxii). Not only the superstructure, which 
 was doubtless of woodwork, but every vestige of material other 
 than granite has passed away. This building was erected in 
 the first century of the Christian era, and is said to have owed 
 
REMAINS OF THE PEACOCK PALACE. 
 
 “ Perhaps no ruin at Annradhapura gives a more complete idea 
 of the utter transience of every perishable part of a building than 
 the so-called Peacock Palace. Not only the superstructure, which 
 was doubtless of woodwork, but every vestige of material other 
 than granite has passed away. This building was erected in the 
 first century of the Christian era, and is said to have owed its 
 title to the brilliance of its external decoration .” — Page 72. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPVRA. 
 
 73 
 
 its title to the brilliance of its external decoration. It was 
 several stories high, and is supposed also to have had cham- 
 bers underground. A circle of finely wrought pillars with beau- 
 
 tiful sculptured capitals and the carved wings at the entrance 
 are, as we see, all that remain. Doubtless excavation will 
 some day disclose a base of corresponding beauty. 
 
 The next group of ruins to which we come belong to 
 
 the third century, when Maha Sen, on his recantation of his 
 heresy, built another enormous dagaba and a series of smaller 
 religious edifices, of which there are some very interesting 
 remains. This monarch ascended the throne a.d. 275, and 
 died a.d. 302. His support of the schismatics who had 
 seceded from the orthodox faith is attributable to a tutor 
 under whose influence he came by the secret machinations 
 of the party. The result of this was that upon coming to 
 
 the throne he persecuted those monastic orders that turned a 
 deaf ear to the new doctrines. Hundreds of their buildings 
 were razed to the ground, including the famous Brazen Palace, 
 and the materials were used for the erection of shrines and 
 monasteries for the new sect. When, however, after the lapse 
 of some years, the old faith still held its place in the affections 
 of the people and his throne was endangered by general dis- 
 content, he returned to the faith of his fathers, restored all the 
 buildings that he had destroyed, and reinstated the members 
 of every foundation that he had overthrown. 
 
 The inception of the Jetawanarama monastery and dagaba 
 is attributed to the middle period of this monarch’s reign in 
 the following quotation from the Mahawansa : — 
 
 “ The king having had two brazen images or statues 
 cast placed them in the hall of the great bo-tree ; and in 
 spite of remonstrance, in his infatuated partiality for the thera 
 Tissa of the Abhayagiriya fraternity — a hypocrite, a dissembler, 
 a companion of sinners, and a vulgar man — constructed the 
 
 K 
 
74 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 Jetawanarama vihara for him, within the consecrated bounds 
 of the garden called Joti, belonging to the Mahavihara.” 
 
 The Jetawanarama thus begun before the recantation of 
 the raja was not completed till the reign of his son Kitsiri 
 Maiwan. 
 
 We shall merely take a glance at the remains of this 
 great shrine across the glistening waters of the Basawak Kulam 
 from a distance of about two miles (Plate xxiii). The Basawak 
 Kulam is one of the lakes constructed as tanks for the supply 
 of water to the city. Although we shall have occasion to 
 refer to these tanks later, we may here notice that this one 
 is the oldest and dates from b.c. 437. The lofty dome which 
 sixteen centuries ago stood gleaming from its ivory-polished 
 surface above the trees and spires which dotted the landscape 
 now stands a desolate mountain of ruined brickwork, over 
 which the forest has crept in pity of its forlorn appearance. 
 Its original height is open to question. It is said to have 
 been three hundred and fifteen feet, but at present it is no 
 more than two hundred and fifty. Like the other dagaba 
 already described it was restored at various periods, and its 
 original outline may have been altered. The spire which still 
 crowns the dome was probably added when the dagaba was 
 restored by king Parakrama Bahu in the eleventh century. 
 Sir Emerson Tennent’s pithy remarks upon this monument 
 cannot be overlooked by any writer on Anuradhapura, and 
 must be reproduced here : — 
 
 “ The solid mass of masonry in this vast mound is pro- 
 digious. Its diameter is three hundred and sixty feet, and its 
 present height (including the pedestal and spire) two hundred 
 and forty-nine feet ; so that the contents of the semi-circular 
 dome of brickwork and the platform of stone seven hundred 
 and twenty feet square and fifteen feet high exceed twenty 
 millions of cubic feet. Even with the facilities which modern 
 
Plate XXIII. 
 
 JETAWANARAMA DAGABA AT ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 “ The lofty dome which sixteen centuries ago stood gleaming 
 from its ivory-polished surface above the trees and spires which 
 dotted the landscape now stands a desolate mountain of ruined 
 brickwork , over which the forest has crept in pity of its forlorn 
 appearance . Its original height is open to question. It is said to 
 have been three hundred and fifteen feet, but at present it is no 
 more than two hundred and fifty f — Page 7 4- 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 75 
 
 invention supplies for economising labour, the building of such 
 a mass would at present occupy five hundred bricklayers from 
 six to seven years, and would involve an expenditure of at 
 least a million sterling. The materials are sufficient to raise 
 eight thousand houses, each with twenty feet frontage, and 
 these would form thirty streets half a mile in length. They 
 would construct a town the size of Ipswich or Coventry ; they 
 would line an ordinary railway tunnel twenty miles long, or 
 form a wall one foot in thickness and ten feet in height, reach- 
 ing from London to Edinburgh. Such are the dagabas of 
 Anuradhapura — structures whose stupendous dimensions and 
 the waste and misapplication of labour lavished on them are 
 hardly outdone even in the instance of the Pyramids of 
 Egypt.” 
 
 All the large dagabas correspond so closely in general design 
 
 that when you have seen one you may be said to have seen 
 
 all. Differences exist only in the numerous small structures 
 with which the platforms abound, and in the details of the 
 ornamentation. The Jetawanarama, for instance, has a railing 
 in brickwork, of the form known as a “ Buddhist railing ” — to 
 which we shall revert hereafter — upon each face of the cube 
 
 above the dome. The drum sustaining the spire was also the 
 
 subject of considerable embellishment, and has eight niches in 
 which statues were probably placed. Another peculiarity has 
 been noticed in the shape of the bricks with which the dome 
 was faced. They were very large and wedge-shaped. The 
 measurement of one was found to be — -Length, eighteen inches ; 
 breadth, twelve inches at one end and nine and a half at the 
 other ; thickness, three and a half inches at the broad end and 
 three inches at the other. Some of the panels that decorate 
 the stelae of the altars have unusual characteristics, particu- 
 larly one in which a male figure is represented as leading an 
 animal by a rope ; and in the panel below a dancing woman 
 attired in transparent clothing. On the paved platforms are 
 
 - 4 — 
 
7 6 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 lying many enormous slabs and portions of small structures, 
 which show clearly the thoroughness of the destruction carried 
 out by the Tamils. The accumulation of earth around the 
 base of the dome is some thirty feet deep, rendering excavation 
 a somewhat formidable task. 
 
 It would be monotonous in the extreme to attempt a 
 description of all the ancient dagabas of Anuradhapura. They 
 are very numerous, and have few points of difference. We now 
 proceed to the interesting ruins said to be the remains of 
 Maha Sen’s palace. As they are in close proximity to the 
 great Jetawanarama Dagaba they are probably parts of religious 
 edifices erected by that monarch. There were in all five 
 buildings in one enclosure measuring two hundred feet square. 
 In the centre stood the principal pavilion, the ruins of which 
 are shown in Plate xxiv. At the four corners of the enclosure 
 were the subsidiary edifices, now only traceable by a few stone 
 pillars that mark the site of each, the bases being entirely 
 buried under the present surface of the ground. Only so much 
 of the central pavilion as is seen in this Plate has been 
 excavated, but it suffices to show some exquisite carving and 
 to give some idea of the importance of the building. The 
 handsome stylobate, although cleared some few years ago, is 
 again covered with jungle. It measures sixty-two by forty-two 
 feet, and had a beautifully moulded base of finely-wrought 
 granite. The superstructure has entirely disappeared. The 
 flight of steps at the entrance needs very few words of 
 description, as it can be seen in Plate xxiv. The landing 
 is a fine monolith thirteen feet long and eight wide. On 
 either side of the landing is a grotesque figure. A coping 
 skirts the landing on each side, and terminates in a rect- 
 angular block ornamented with a panel containing a seated 
 lion beautifully carved in high relief. This is one of the best 
 pieces of sculpture we shall meet with. The strength of the 
 beast is well brought out, while the uplifted paw and the look 
 
Plate XXIV. 
 
 MOONSTONE AND STEPS. 
 
 “At the foot of the steps lies the best preserved moonstone yet 
 discovered. The moonstone, it may be observed, is peculiar to 
 Singhalese architecture and is a semi-circular slab forming the 
 doorstep to the principal entrance of a building. Its ornamentation 
 varies considerably, as may be seen on comparing Plate with Plate. 
 
 . . . This carving is as sharp and well defined as if it were 
 fresh from the sculptor s chisel, and this in spite of an interval of 
 one thousand six hundred years .” — Page 77. 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 77 
 
 of defiance are most suggestive. But as remarkable as the 
 skill of the craftsman is its preservation exposed and un- 
 injured during so many centuries. The steps are ornamented 
 
 TERMINATION OF COPING AT MAHA SEN’S PALACE. 
 
 by squatting dwarfs who appear to be supporting the tread ; 
 these, too, are well carved ; the hands are pressed upon the 
 knees ; the waist is girdled, and a jewelled band falls over the 
 shoulders ; from the head waving curls are flowing ; their ears, 
 arms, elbows, wrists and ankles are adorned with jewelled 
 rings and bangles. The pilasters on either side of each dwarf 
 are carved in similar minute detail and represent bundles of 
 leaves. 
 
 At the foot of the steps lies the best preserved moonstone 
 yet discovered. The moonstone, it may be observed, is 
 peculiar to Singhalese architecture and is a semi-circular slab 
 forming the doorstep to the principal entrance of a building. 
 Its ornamentation varies considerably, as may be seen on 
 
78 
 
 ANURADHAPURA . 
 
 comparing Plate with Plate. In our specimen from Maha 
 Sen’s pavilion (Plate xxiv) the innermost fillet contains a floral 
 scroll of lilies ; next comes a row of the hansa, or sacred goose, 
 each carrying in its beak a lotus-bud with two small leaves ; 
 then comes a very handsome scroll of flowers and leaves ; 
 after this is a procession of elephants, horses, lions and bulls ; 
 and, lastly, a border of rich foliage. All this carving is as 
 sharp and well defined as if it were fresh from the sculptor’s 
 chisel, and this in spite of an interval of one thousand six 
 hundred years. 
 
 Guard stones and wing stones doubtless formed part of the 
 decoration of these handsome steps, but they have entirely 
 disappeared. The dvarpal stones which face one another on 
 the landing are not so well preserved as the steps, owing to 
 their being exposed while the lower portion of the structure 
 was buried. 
 
 Plate xxv represents the remains of one of the so-called 
 pavilions erected in the third century. It has been called the 
 Queen’s Pavilion, but as nothing is really known about its 
 original use we can only interest ourselves in its design and 
 structure. The most noticeable feature is its massive stylobate of 
 dressed granite ornamented by base mouldings of a very massive 
 character. The pediment is unlike any other that has been dis- 
 covered, being duplicated and carried higher than usual. 
 
 The forest is everywhere teeming with ruins awaiting 
 discovery and excavation. Sometimes the only sign of an 
 important edifice is a single pillar or group of pillars standing 
 above the ground, or perhaps a portion of some stairway 
 
 which has not yet become entirely hidden by earth. A few 
 
 years ago Mr. S. M. Burrows discovered the most perfect 
 door-guardians and flight of steps yet unearthed by a very 
 
 slight indication of the kind referred to. These form the subject 
 of our Illustration (Plate xxvi). I quote Mr. Burrows’ own 
 
Plate XXV. 
 
 REMAINS OF PAVILION (THIRD CENTURY). 
 
 “ The remains of one of the so-called pavilions erected in the 
 third century. It has been called the Queen s Pavilion, but as 
 nothing is really known about its original use we can only interest 
 ourselves in its design and structure , The most noticeable feature 
 is its massive stylobate of dressed granite ornamented by base 
 mouldings of a very massive character." — Page J 8 . 
 

 
 
 
 ' 
 
EST’E 3 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 79 
 
 words in reference to them from Ids Archaeological Report : — 
 “ On the opposite side of the road to the ‘ stone canoe,’ the 
 extreme tip of what appeared to he a ‘ dorapaluwa ’ (door- 
 guardian stone), and some fine pillars at a little distance from 
 it, invited excavation. The result was highly satisfactory. A 
 vihara of the first-class, measuring about eighty feet by sixty, 
 was gradually unearthed, with perhaps the finest flight of 
 stone steps in the ruins. The ‘ moonstone,’ though very large, 
 presents the lotus only, without the usual concentric circles of 
 animal figures ; but one at least of the door-guardian stones, 
 standing over five feet high, is unrivalled in excellence of 
 preservation and delicacy of finish. Every detail, both of the 
 central figure and its two attendants, stands out as clear and 
 perfect as when it was first carved ; for the stone had fallen 
 head downwards, and was buried under seven or eight feet of 
 earth. On the top of the landing-stone of the stairway are 
 two stone seats hollowed out for the back ; and exactly 
 opposite to the stairway on the further side of the vihara is a 
 ‘yogi,’ or meditation stone, still in position. There is a 
 smaller chapel at each corner of the vihara, approached in like 
 manner by a stone stairway and moonstone. The boundary 
 wall of the vihara presents the usual ogee moulding, carried 
 out in stone near the stairway, and continued in brick.” 
 
 So called “yogi” stones are very plentiful amongst the ruins 
 of Anuradhapura. They vary 
 very much both in size and the 
 number of square-cut holes they 
 contain. For a long time they 
 were supposed to have been in 
 use by the ancient monks for the 
 purpose of assisting them in their 
 meditation. The method was to 
 sit gazing intently at the holes 
 thinking of nothing until in the entire absence ot all distractions 
 
8o 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 the mind could become free from desire and fit to be turned 
 upon self analysis. In this way the monks were supposed 
 
 to be able to realise their own permanent and true nature. A 
 later and more reasonable theory is that these curious stones 
 were receptacles for articles of value deposited as offerings 
 in the shrines, that they were built into the altars, and 
 
 that the Tamils, aware of their existence, demolished the 
 
 shrines in search of their precious contents, a proceeding 
 
 which would more satisfactorily account for their being scattered 
 about. 
 
 Among restorations which have recently been carried out 
 is that of a beautiful stone canopy, ever} 7 piece of which 
 
 has been found al- 
 
 most perfect. It is 
 very massive, and the 
 moulding is particu- 
 larly fine. The cen- 
 tre piece alone is 
 
 said to weigh about 
 five tons. This was 
 another of the dis- 
 coveries of Mr. Bur- 
 rows, who gives the 
 
 following interesting 
 account of his “find” 
 in his report to the 
 
 Government: — “While superintending some repairs to the so- 
 
 called ‘ stone canoe,’ I was led to explore the forest in the imme- 
 diate vicinity, and was fortunate enough to discover a magnificent 
 oblong stone with sunk panelled mouldings, which evidently formed 
 the centre-piece of a canopy. It was almost completely buried, 
 face downwards, and consequently was in excellent preservation. 
 The jungle was immediately cleared all round it, and after a 
 diligent search the two flanking stones, which completed the 
 
 STONE CANOPY. 
 
Plate XXVI. 
 
 MOONSTONE, GUARDSTONES, AND STEPS. 
 
 “ The ‘ moonstone,’ though very large, presents the lotus only, 
 without the usual concentric circles of animal figures ; but one at 
 least of the door-guardian stones, standing over five feet high, is 
 unrivalled in excellence of preservation and delicacy of finish. 
 Every detail, both of the central figure and its two attendants, 
 stands out as clear and perfect as when it was first carved.”— 
 Page 79. 
 

 
 ' 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 Si 
 
 roof, were discovered, together with the stones forming the frieze 
 which ran along the outer edge of the roof. These stones 
 are delicately carved and moulded, and bear altogether six 
 elaborate representations of the familiar ‘ Buddhist window,’ 
 surmounted by a ‘ makara-torana,’ or figure of a mythical 
 beast, the guardian of the entrance. That all these stones 
 formed the roof of a canopy was further proved by the fact 
 that the centre and two flanking stones bore, when first un- 
 earthed, plain marks of the squares on to which the sustaining 
 pillars had fitted. Further excavations revealed a platform 
 which exactly corresponded to the measurement of the three 
 
 roof-stones, an unbroken pillar (together with several fragments 
 of other similar ones) which accurately fitted the square marks 
 still visible on the roof stones, and a staircase of six 
 monolithic steps, each stone bearing traces of an ancient 
 inscription, at right angles to the platform. On communi- 
 cating these discoveries to His Excellency, the restoration 
 of the canopy was at once ordered. This was a work of 
 several weeks, for we had no appliances at hand for raising 
 heavy stones, except a piece of old chain — (and the three 
 
 roof-stones together weighed over twenty tons) — and no skilled 
 labour, except a soi-disant mason, who had turned his 
 talents to house-breaking, and become a convict in conse- 
 quence. From the multitude of pillars in the jungle we 
 selected seven, of precisely the same measurement as the one 
 unbroken pillar discovered, and set up all eight in position. 
 Filling up the whole of the interior with earth to the tops 
 of the pillars, and erecting a sloping platform of earth from 
 the spot where the roof-stones lay to the pillar-tops, we 
 gradually worked the roof-stones upwards, and into position, 
 with crowbars and wooden rollers. The earth between the 
 pillars was then cleared away, and the canopy was complete. 
 
 It is more than likely that this was the very method by 
 
 which the building was originally erected nearly two thousand 
 years ago.” 
 
 L 
 
82 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 The excavations being carried out by the Archaeological 
 Commissioner frequently bring to light something of intense 
 interest. One of the best of recent discoveries is the site 
 shown by Plate xxvii. For a description of this we cannot 
 do better than consult Mr. H. C. P. Bell’s most interesting 
 report, from which the following is quoted : — ■“ Here were found 
 an octagonal shaft and puhul capital (a type not hitherto 
 noticed at Anuradhapura) and some narrow moulded slabs 
 deeply morticed. These gave hope of further discovery. When 
 the raised site, six or eight feet above ground level, and some 
 one hundred and forty feet in length by one hundred and ten 
 feet broad, had been cleared of scrub, search was rewarded by a 
 valuable archaeological ‘find’ — a post with three rails attached, in 
 pieces — a genuine fragment of a structural ‘ Buddhist railing.’ 
 Fortunately the peculiar shape of the semi-convex rails had 
 saved them from the fate of the shapely pillars of which but 
 stumps remain in position. The tenons at both ends of the 
 standard explained at once the purpose of the morticed slabs. 
 Here were the rail, post, and plinth ; only the coping seemed 
 wanting. After continued search a portion of this was found, 
 showing a few inches above ground, and close to it two slabs 
 of a rounded basement, ten inches in depth, as originally 
 built at right angles to each other. This fixed the south-east 
 corner and determined the plan of the railing which followed 
 the lines of the oblong site. Trial excavation brought up more 
 pieces of rails and coping, and two additional members — a 
 stepped sub-plinth and a low socle below the quarter-round 
 base. There is therefore every reason to hope that by running 
 a trench along the foot of the mound more of this fine railing 
 will be unearthed, and that it may yet be possible to restore it 
 in part to nearly its pristine form. 
 
 “ The railing consisted of square eight inch standards, — the 
 angle posts probably ten inches by eight inches, — three feet 
 ten inches in height, kept upright by tenons (three inches by 
 
Plate XXVII. 
 
 (See Page 82.) 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 83 
 
 two inches) at top and bottom, which fitted mortices in the 
 upper plinth and coping. Three lenticular rails, thirteen and a 
 half inches deep, project from the 
 posts nine inches to twelve inches. 
 
 The centre rail is separated one 
 and a half inches from the upper 
 and lower rails, and these two 
 inches from coping and plinth 
 
 respectively. A thin tie (one and a half inch by half inch) 
 strengthens the rails near their lateral extremities. The widest 
 interspaces of the mortice holes on the plinth slabs are 
 but seventeen inches, which would bring the posts within a 
 
 foot of one another ; some would seem to have been still 
 
 closer together. The coping, rounded at top, is eight inches 
 
 deep, the upper plinth thirteen inches, and both are delicately 
 moulded. The lower plinth, three-stepped (two, two and a 
 quarter, two and three quarter inches), is seven inches in depth, 
 the basement eight inches, and the socle nine inches — all cut on 
 their upper surface with a half inch set to prevent the members 
 above sagging outwards. The entire railing rested on a stone 
 foundation, and from ground to coping was seven feet six 
 
 inches in height. 
 
 “ Comparing it with the best known Indian examples, it 
 follows that at Buddha Gaya in being rectangular, therein 
 differing from the Bharhut, Sanchi and Amaravati rails. In 
 
84 
 
 AN U RADII A PUR A. 
 
 unsculptured bareness it resembles the railing round the Great 
 Tope of Sanchi, but carries simplicity even further by square, 
 in lieu of octagonal posts.” 
 
 The late James Fergusson, the eminent authority on Indian 
 architecture, states in his “Rude Stone Monuments” that “the 
 architectural material of India was wood down to b.c. 250 or 
 300. It then became timidly lithic, but retained all its wooden 
 forms and simulated carpentry fastenings down, at all events, to 
 the Christian era. The rail at Sanchi, which was erected in 
 the course of the two centuries preceding our era, is still 
 essentially wooden in all its parts, so much so that it is diffi- 
 cult to see how it could be constructed in stone.” This is 
 interesting in connection with the railing discovered at Anurad- 
 hapura, which is in pattern almost identical with the one at 
 Sanchi, but is of solid granite. Moreover, its age must be 
 
 somewhere about the beginning of the Christian era. 
 
 The following is taken from Mr. Bell’s later report on this 
 site :■ — “ Considerable progress has been made in the excavation 
 of the site near Abhayagiri Dagaba where the Buddhist railing 
 was discovered. The whole of the ground between the rail 
 and the inner basement line of the building has been turned 
 up to a depth of six feet or more. Most of the rails, coping, 
 ckc., were unearthed within this space. 
 
 “ On the east face, since the guard-stones alluded to in 
 the last report were found, some grand columns of quartz, but 
 greatly disintegrated, and unfortunately broken into two or 
 three pieces, have been brought to light. Like the granite 
 pillars already described, these have octagonal shafts, but a 
 variant form of capital. The necking of the column slides 
 into the round by a triple astragal moulding, upon which rests 
 a flattened cushion capital, circular, with a low abacus. 
 
 “ Near these pillars was dug out a single step of the east 
 stairway. This is ten feet in length, the tread slightly fluted 
 
A X URADHAPURA. 
 
 85 
 
 with a shallow lotus boss at each end, and a third at the centre. 
 The riser of the step, also fluted, has in a central panel a horse 
 kneeling to the proper left. The step is broken across the 
 
 centre, but is otherwise little damaged, and not much worn. 
 
 “ Some broken statuary was also exhumed. A very dilapi- 
 dated kneeling bull in two pieces ; of the Buddha, a sedent 
 image complete, but in two ; the lower portion of a second 
 resting on the coils of Muchalinda Naga Raja; and the mere 
 trunk of a standing figure. The last has small holes bored 
 
 into it at the neck, wrists, and ankles, showing that the head, 
 hands and feet were originally joined on by iron or copper 
 
 joggles. The hands of the seated Buddhas are as usual placed 
 in their lap, the back of the right hand resting on the left 
 palm. But the crossed feet have been carved in an impossible 
 position, a false perspective, intended to exhibit to distant 
 
 view the magul lakunu, or sacred marks on the soles — a con- 
 ventionalism (abandoned in later days) which necessarily 
 detracts from the artistic finish of the figure, giving it a 
 somewhat distorted appearance. All these are of quartz. 
 
 “Specimens of nails and bolts (iron and copper) with a 
 small copper bell and an iron chisel were dug up at different 
 points. 
 
 “ Starting near the centre, the brick walls of what proved to 
 be a small chamber, eight feet square, were soon exposed at 
 a depth of three feet to four feet below the level of the stone 
 pavement, which was laid down in the corridors of the pillared 
 buildings if not throughout it. Some two or three feet height 
 of the chamber walls remain above a well-laid brick flooring 
 outside. It was full of the fallen brickwork. When this debris 
 had been cleared, in the centre was discovered a box-like 
 receptacle, two feet square by one foot in height, divided into 
 half-a-dozen irregular partitions by bricks set up endwise. The 
 chamber may have been originally a relic chamber, and this 
 
86 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 smaller compartment the receptacle of the actual relics and 
 the gems, &c., stored with them. 
 
 “ From the chamber brick walls of the most solid construc- 
 tion, or narrow pavements, three feet in width, branch off in 
 several directions, probably to form separate rooms or mark 
 passages. The bricks are of the largest size yet found in 
 Anuradhapura, eighteen inches by nine inches by three inches, 
 of excellent quality, sharply edged and kiln-baked to perfec- 
 tion. Those of the chamber and inner receptacle are smaller, 
 twelve inches by nine inches by two inches. No mortar 
 
 was used, the whole being in puddle— a strong evidence of its 
 antiquity. 
 
 “ When clearing round the chamber wall a large quantity 
 of coloured beads of all sizes were picked out. These beads 
 vary in size, from two five-eighths of an inch in circumference 
 to the finest ‘ dust ’ variety, almost too diminutive to thread. 
 The predominant colour is pale green, after which comes blue, 
 orange, dull red, and black in the order given. The larger 
 
 beads, and the greater part of the smaller kinds (with an 
 exception of an oblong seed-shaped pebble), are of glass more 
 or less corroded : a few are of bone. Found with the beads 
 and apparently buried with them was a quantity of zircon and 
 dark red garnets with some calcite and quartz. 
 
 “ As at the site of the ancient temple at Tiruketisvaram, 
 near Mannar, besides beads, fragments of ancient glass, plain 
 and coloured, were turned up ; thick glass two and a half inches 
 long, small bits of thin blue and white glass, one sixteenth and 
 one thirty-second of an inch thick. To these should be added 
 a large lump of beautiful translucent rock crystal, and two 
 worked crystal fragments— one an hexagonal prism, two inches 
 long by one inch in diameter (perhaps the kota or pinnacle of 
 a crystal dagaba-shaped karanduwa) — the other, the moulded 
 pediment to a small image, both broken. 
 
Plate XXVIII. 
 
 MONOLITHIC STATUE OF BUDDHA. 
 
 “ This monolith , eight feet high, has probably been in the 
 forest where we now find it for more than a thousand years. 
 It stands upon a pedestal which is now buried beneath the accu- 
 mulations of centuries — Page 88. 
 

 
 
SE®S5r©a,2S 1 23IH© ©IF 
 

 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 87 
 
 “ But perhaps the most unexpected find was an oblong 
 four-sided dice complete, and pieces of another, both of cal- 
 cined bone. 
 
 “ The reasonable expectation of discovering a large assort- 
 ment of ancient coins has not been realised. Fortunately, the 
 few unearthed possess a historical value, which will go far 
 towards fixing the age of the brick building. The coins 
 comprise a few punch-marked ‘ eldings,’ the oldest form of coin 
 currency met with in India ; some copper coins of the 
 Kurumbar or Pallawa kingdom (at their zenith between the 
 fourth and seventh centuries) ; two ancient Singhalese coins — - 
 those oblong figured tablets or plaques hitherto found mostly 
 in the Northern Province. Most noteworthy are two ‘ third 
 brass ’ coins of the later Roman Empire. 
 
 “ The profusion of stone pavement, basement slabs, pil- 
 lars, ornamental bosses, &c., covering and inextricably running 
 down into the unconnected brickwork below at all angles in 
 baffling confusion, is almost certain evidence of a stone super- 
 structure richly colonaded (to which the magnificent railing 
 was a fitting frame) raised upon the ruins of a still earlier 
 
 structure of brick. The natural impression to be gathered 
 from the present stage of the excavation seems to point to 
 the site marking the ruins of two periods — a brick era, before 
 the employment of mortar, followed by an age of stone 
 
 construction, here exemplified at its best. It may prove 
 
 impossible, even when the site is embowelled to the lowest 
 
 strata of debris, ever to lay down with confidence the plan 
 of the building which once stood upon it. Certainly until 
 excavation from end to end reaches to the very foundations 
 it were useless theorising as to its constructive features, its 
 object first and last, and the varied fortune to which the 
 
 early simple brickwork and subsequent stone elaboration were 
 subjected.” 
 
88 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 Since the above was written further progress in the excavation 
 of this site has been made, and the restoration of the Buddhist 
 railing has been to some extent carried out. Unfortunately, 
 when I secured my photograph in January, 1896, the railing 
 itself was not in situ, but portions of it were lying quite close 
 to the pediment mouldings which, as may be seen by the 
 
 illustration, have been partially restored ; and even pulley- 
 standards were erected for lifting the portions of railing into 
 position. 
 
 Our Plate xxviii represents a colossal figure of Buddha. 
 There is nothing to be said about it except that it is a 
 monolith eight feet high and has probably been in the forest 
 where we now find it for more than a thousand years. It 
 stands upon a pedestal which is now buried beneath the 
 
 accumulations of centuries. It is carved in very dark granite, 
 and the surface is now quite black. 
 
 Plate xxix represents a galge, or hermit’s cell, excavated out 
 of the natural rock, with an outer wall of brick. This is a 
 place of considerable interest. The rock, which is a huge 
 hummock about one hundred and twenty yards long, bears 
 signs of having been extensively quarried for other buildings. 
 Wedge marks, as in our illustration, appear in many parts, 
 giving indications of the manner in which the builders de- 
 tached the huge monoliths found everywhere, and going far 
 to prove that two thousand years ago they used a method 
 which was introduced into Europe in the nineteenth century. 
 “ This ‘ rock-house ’ or cave,” writes Mr. Bell, “ was prepared 
 for its hermit priests with considerable care. First, a slice 
 thirty-four feet in width by thirteen feet six inches deep was 
 
 wedged from the rock ; then a further depth of ten feet 
 
 smoothly scooped out in ovolo shape, the bellying roof being 
 beautifully rounded. Finally, a substantial wall, two feet thick, 
 of brick and puddle was probably run up to form the front 
 
Plate XXIX. 
 
 GALGE, OR ROCK CHAMBER. 
 
 “ This is a place of considerable interest. The rock, which is 
 a huge hummock about one hundred a?id twenty yards long, bears 
 signs of having been extensively quarried for other buildings. 
 Wedge marks, as in our Illustration, appear in cnany parts, giving 
 indications of the manner in which the builders detached the huge 
 monoliths found everywhere, and going far to prove that two 
 thousand years ago they used a method which was introduced into 
 Europe in the nineteenth century — Page 88. 
 

 
©JULd-H,, ®® ®®©E ©JSASSIBI1SE, 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 89 
 
 and divide the interior space into three chambers. The centre 
 cell, entered by a chastely moulded stone door (six feet six 
 
 inches by three feet five inches), is sixteen feet seven inches 
 
 in length and eight feet six inches in depth, with a maximum 
 height of eight feet nine inches. At the left back corner a 
 
 stone shelf was cut ; on the right of the doorway is a bed, 
 
 and at the back a long seat, both fashioned of clay. This cell 
 has two small windows, now blocked. The two side cells are 
 very cramped, being but five feet six inches by five feet three 
 inches and six feet one inch in height and entered by low 
 arches. A katare was cut above the cells to divert the drip. 
 In front of them is a rock cistern, twenty feet by eight feet 
 six inches, hollowed from the slab rock.” 
 
 Near this cave ruins are very abundant ; the basements of 
 upwards of twenty buildings, several fine pokunas, and quite a 
 forest of pillars are visible. 
 
 We have already referred to Kitsiri Maiwan I., who finished 
 the great Jetawanarama begun by his father, Maha Sen. In 
 the ninth year of his reign, a.d. 31 i, the famous tooth-relic 
 of Buddha was brought to Ceylon by a princess who in time 
 of war is said to have fled to Ceylon for safety with the 
 tooth concealed in the coils of her hair. The Dalada 
 Maligawa, or Temple ot the Tooth, was then built for its 
 reception within the Thuparama enclosure. 'The ruins of this 
 famous temple are well worthy of inspection. The building 
 appears to have consisted of an entrance hall, an ante- 
 chamber, and a relic-chamber. Our engraving shows the 
 moulded jambs and lintel of the entrance to the ante-chamber 
 still in situ. The principal chamber is interesting for its 
 curiously carved pillars, the heads of which are worked into a 
 design intended to represent the sacred tooth. At the principal 
 entrance there is a handsome flight of stone steps, at the foot 
 of which is a richly-sculptured moonstone and a dvarpal on 
 
go 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 either side. The origin of the Perahara festivals, still held 
 annually at Kandy,* dates from the erection of this temple 
 from which the tooth was upon festival occasions borne through 
 
 RUINS OF THE DALADA MALIGAWA. 
 
 the streets of Anuradhapura on the back of a white elephant 
 which was always kept at the temple for the purpose. During 
 the invasions of the Malabars, when the temple was more than 
 once destroyed, the sacred relic was on several occasions 
 removed for safety and thus preserved, but at length, in the 
 fourteenth century, it was seized and carried off to India. 
 The Singhalese king Parakrama Balm IIP, however, by pro- 
 ceeding to India successfully negotiated its ransom and brought 
 it back again. There is a story of its having been taken 
 
 * See the Author’s “Picturesque Ceylon,” Vol. ii. 
 
Plate XXX. 
 
 REMAINS OF AN ANCIENT STREET. 
 
 “ The native annals give many particulars of the streets of the 
 ancient city , hut considering how deeply buried are the foundations 
 of buildings, traces of the streets are difficult to find. There is, 
 however, one of considerable interest at Toluwila, a couple of miles 
 east from the centre of the city. Here for several hundred yards 
 the way is paved, and on either side there are mouldings and 
 copings .” — Page 92. 
 

museums ®jf 
 

ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 9i 
 
 and destroyed by the Portuguese at a later date, and although 
 Europeans consider the evidences of this final mishap as 
 historical, the natives are satisfied that the original relic still 
 exists in the temple at Kandy and regard it with the greatest 
 veneration. 
 
 NATIVE BAZAAR AT ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 As we wander from one part of the sacred city to another 
 and inspect remains which suggest a past of such grandeur and 
 prosperity it is somewhat depressing to notice the squalid 
 appearance of the modern native dwellings and their inhabi- 
 tants. Although much has been done of late years to improve 
 their lot by restoring means of cultivation and the fever 
 demon has been banished by the removal of large tracts of 
 jungle and forest, still the sight of the mud dwellings roofed 
 with leaves and sticks amidst the signs of former magnificence 
 gives rise to serious reflections. Our illustration represents the 
 native bazaar of Anuradhapura. The people who can afford to 
 
Q2 
 
 ANURADHAPURA. 
 
 patronise this place, modest as it is, are few. For the most 
 part the miserable remnant of the native population live only 
 on kurrukan, something like millet, not being even able to 
 afford rice. 
 
 The native annals give many particulars of the streets of 
 the ancient city, but considering how deeply buried are the 
 foundations of buildings traces of the streets are difficult 
 to find. There is, however, one of considerable interest at 
 Toluwila, a couple of miles east from the centre of the city 
 (see Plate xxx). Here for several hundred yards the way is 
 paved and on either side there are mouldings and copings. At 
 intervals where the road rises and falls there are flights of 
 steps, at which points there were probably some buildings. In 
 the vicinity there are a good many indications of dwellings 
 and here and there a small dagaba. It is very likely that this 
 was within the sacred part of the ancient city, and that upon 
 further excavation valuable discoveries may be made. 
 
 We have visited those architectural remains of Anurad- 
 hapura which have been reclaimed from the dense forest, but 
 the greater part of the city still lies entombed. When in the 
 twentieth century the whole province shall have been restored 
 to the prosperity that certainly awaits it and the work of the 
 archaeological commissioner shall have borne full fruit, the 
 contents of this volume will be an insignificant portion of the 
 information available. At present we depart from the city with 
 a feeling that we have touched only the fringe of a great and 
 interesting subject. 
 
Plate XXXI. 
 
 SIGIRI. 
 
 “ At length after about six miles of this path we emerge into 
 the open, and of a sudden Sigin appears rising abruptly from the 
 plain. An artificial lake, formed under the west side of the rock, 
 helps to form a striking picture.'’ — Pagk 97. 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 SIGIRI. 
 
 ITHERTO we have kept to the beaten tracks 
 of travel but we now enter upon the more 
 adventurous part of our journey which may be 
 considered to begin with our visit to Sigiri. 
 The historic interest which attaches to this 
 lonely crag centres in the story of the parricide 
 King Kasyapa, who after depriving his father Dhatu Sen of 
 throne and life, sought security by converting this rock into 
 an impregnable fortress. Although it has been said that Sigiri 
 was a stronghold in prehistoric times, the existing remains are 
 traceable no further back than to Kasyapa, the account of 
 whose reign in the Mahawansa is considered specially reliable 
 as being written by the Buddhist monk Mahanamo, an eye 
 witness of the troublous times that he describes. It is, more- 
 over, the only contemporary account of Sigiri that has been 
 preserved. 
 
 We cannot, therefore, more effectually stimulate our interest 
 in this remarkable fortress than by recounting the story of out- 
 rage and cruelty which led to its adoption as a royal residence 
 and its adaptation as a tower of defence. The actors in 
 this tragedy, so thoroughly illustrative of the fiendish cruelty 
 native to the Singhalese princes of that age, were king Dahtu 
 Sen, who ascended the throne a.d. 463 ; his two sons Kasyapa 
 and Moggallana; his only daughter; his uncle and our chronicler 
 Mahanamo; and his nephew who was his commander-in-chief. 
 
94 
 
 SIGIRI. 
 
 Dahtu Sen, who was a scion of the line royal, had during 
 his youth lived in retirement in consequence of the supremacy 
 of the Tamil usurpers during the period from a.d. 434 to 
 a.d. 459. Educated by Mahanamo he entered the priesthood, 
 but upon reaching man’s estate the oppression of the alien 
 rulers, their devastation of the temples, and the prospect of a 
 mixed and hybrid race, called him from a life of contempla- 
 tion. Believing that his country was in danger of being lost 
 for ever to the Singhalese, he resolved upon a desperate effort 
 to recover the throne. In this he eventually succeeded, and 
 
 after the complete extirpation of the invaders he applied himself 
 to re-establish peace throughout the island and to restore the 
 old religion to its former preeminence. Those of the nobles 
 who had during the usurpation formed alliances with the 
 Tamils were degraded to the position of serfs on their own 
 land, but all who had remained steadfast in their devotion to 
 their country were called to honour, and more especially the 
 companions of his adversities. 
 
 He now applied himself as vigorously to the arts of peace 
 as he had to those of war. He founded hospitals for the halt 
 and sick, constructed a large number of reservoirs in districts 
 that had long been neglected, founded many new monasteries, 
 restored and redecorated all the chief religious edifices, devoting 
 his private treasures and his large store of jewels to the re- 
 adornment of statues that had been desecrated and despoiled. 
 “ Who can describe in detail all tire good deeds that he has 
 done ? ” says the Mahawansa. 
 
 We learn, however, that these great virtues were counter- 
 balanced to some extent by a disposition to cruel revenge. We 
 are told that having an only daughter dear to him as his own 
 life he gave her in marriage to the commander-in-chief of his 
 army. The marriage was not happy, and it soon reached the 
 king’s ears that his daughter had been ignominiously and 
 undeservedly flogged by her husband. Dhatu Sen thereupon 
 
Plate XXXII. 
 
 REMAINS OF THE GALLERIES OF SIGIRI. 
 
 “ The perpendicular sides of this rock made it impossible to climb, 
 but Kasyapa by a clever device carried a spiral gallery around it, 
 gradually rising from base to summit .” — Page 96. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[la II 2) ©IF* '7C 3 )S( 
 
 ©IF SjEdli 
 
SIGIRI. 
 
 95 
 
 ordered the culprit’s mother to be stripped and put to death 
 with great cruelty. But this barbarous act soon brought its 
 
 retribution. The son-in-law was now the aggrieved person and 
 at once conspired to dethrone the king. This he accomplished 
 by the corruption of Ivasyapa. The people were gained over 
 and the king seized and cast into chains. In vain Moggallana 
 endeavoured to oppose his brother’s treachery; he could only 
 seek refuge in flight to India. The next move of the outraged 
 son-in-law was to persuade Kasyapa that his father had hidden 
 his treasures with intent to bestow them on Moggallana. 
 Kasyapa thereupon sent messengers to his father who was in 
 prison to demand of him where the treasures were concealed 
 Dhatu Sen saw in this a plot against his life, and resigning 
 himself to his fate, said : “ It is as well that I should die after 
 that I have seen my old friend Mahanamo once more and 
 washed myself in the waters of Kalawewa ” * He then told 
 the messengers that if Kasyapa would allow him to be taken 
 to Kalawewa he could point out his treasures. Kasyapa, de- 
 lighted at the prospect, sent the messengers back to his father 
 with a chariot for his conveyance to Kalawewa. While on the 
 journey the ill-fated king ate rice with the charioteer, who 
 showed great compassion for him. 
 
 Upon arriving at Kalawewa he derived great solace from 
 the interview with his old friend Mahanamo. He bathed in 
 the great reservoir and drank of its waters ; then pointing to 
 his friend Mahanamo and to the waters around turned to his 
 guards and said : “ These are all the treasures that I possess.” 
 When they heard these words they were filled with wrath and 
 immediately conveyed him back to his son Kasyapa who, hand- 
 ing him over to the chief of the army, ordered his execution. 
 He was now doomed to suffer the worst death that his arch- 
 enemy could devise. After heaping insults upon him this fiend 
 
 *The immense artificial lake referred to on page 22, and the greatest work of this 
 monarch. 
 
SIGIRI. 
 
 96 
 
 stripped him naked, bound him in chains, and walled up the 
 entrance to his prison. 
 
 Kasyapa, having thus rendered himself unpopular by his 
 crimes, and dreading an attack from his brother Moggalana, 
 dared no longer to live openly in Anuradhapura and retired to 
 Sigiri. The perpendicular sides of this rock made it impossible 
 to climb, but Kasyapa by a clever device carried a spiral gallery 
 around it gradually rising from base to summit. He next 
 surrounded the rock with a rampart of great strength within 
 which he collected all his wealth and treasure and set guards 
 over them. He then raised a splendid palace and other 
 buildings needful for the seat of government. Here he lived 
 in great luxury. But in spite of all distractions he soon began 
 to repent of the crimes which had placed him on the throne, 
 and in true Buddhist fashion endeavoured to escape the meed 
 of unfavourable transmigration by acts of merit such as the 
 building of monasteries and the granting of lands for the sup- 
 port of the priesthood. Not less oppressive than the dread of 
 his next life was the fear of retribution at the hands of his 
 brother Moggallana, who at length invaded the island at the 
 head of an overwhelming force. The two armies encountered 
 each other “ like two seas that had burst their bounds,” and 
 in the great battle that ensued Kasyapa, on coming to a deep 
 marsh, caused his elephant to turn back so that he might 
 advance by another direction. His followers interpreting this as 
 a sign of flight broke in headlong rout, and Kasyapa committed 
 suicide on the field. 
 
 Having thus prepared ourselves with its history, we now 
 proceed to the rock itself and the remains that are still extant. 
 At Dambulla we provision one of our bullock-carts for the day 
 and send it on six miles to the small village of Inamaluwa, 
 where there is an excellent rest-house, and which marks the 
 first stage of our journey to Minneria which we hope to reach 
 the next night. At daybreak we drive to Inamaluwa where 
 
Plate XXXIII. 
 
 IN THE GALLERY OF SIGIRI. 
 
 “ The wall which will he noticed is about nine feet high, and 
 was built on the edge of the terrace, so that persons within the 
 gallery would have a sense of perfect safety, and, in fact, would 
 he secure from the missile of any enemy. This wall is coated 
 
 with chunam, a very hard cement, susceptible of a polish equal to 
 that of marble, and it retains its smooth surface to this day, 
 although it has been exposed to the monsoons of fifteen centuries." 
 — Page 98. 
 

 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
m ‘aTISIH ©J^ILILiISIE^' ©IF §S©3ISEE, 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
SI GIRL 
 
 97 
 
 we branch off through the jungle by a path too rougli for 
 springs but practicable for the bullock-cart although exceedingly 
 difficult in places. The path is very picturesque, and the 
 jungle gay with birds of brightest plumage and alive with wild 
 animals. Troops of monkeys are frequently seen and jackals 
 here and there cross the path, but the black bear, although this 
 is one of his favourite haunts, may or may not put in an 
 appearance. One of our party, however, makes his acquain- 
 tance. The buffalo, a dangerous antagonist for the most 
 practised sportsman, disputes the right of road, but being 
 unprepared to deal with large game we patiently wait his 
 pleasure. 
 
 At length after about six miles of this path we emerge 
 into the open and of a sudden Sigiri appears rising abruptly 
 from the plain. An artificial lake, formed under the west 
 side of the rock, helps to form a striking picture (see 
 Plate xxxi). There are traces of massive stone walls enclosing 
 about fifty acres round the base of the rock and forming the 
 first line of defence. Upon a nearer approach we observe that 
 terraces were formed on the slopes which lead to the perpen- 
 dicular side of the rock ; they are faced with stone and were 
 doubtless constructed for purposes of defence. Here and there 
 huge boulders have been carved into foundations for halls, and 
 into luxurious baths. Mr. Id. C. P. Bell, who is now engaged 
 in the exploration, tells us of “ scores of boulders, large and 
 small, marked by grooves and mortice holes innumerable, that 
 formerly held walls and pillars of the city buildings.” 
 
 We have read in the story of Kasyapa of the spiral galleries 
 which were carried to the summit of the rock. We now see in 
 Plates xxxii and xxxiii parts of their remains. Plate xxxii shows 
 the entrance to the gallery, and Plate xxxiii gives an inside view, 
 d'he stairway from the terraces to the gallery has quite disap- 
 peared and the latter is now reached by an easy climb aided 
 by the handrails and ladders which have been recently affixed. 
 
 N 
 
9 8 
 
 SIGIRI. 
 
 The wall which will be noticed is about nine feet high, 
 and was built on the edge of the terrace, so that persons 
 within the gallery would have a sense of perfect safety, and, in 
 fact, would be secure from the missile of any enemy. This 
 wall is coated with chunam, a very hard cement, susceptible 
 of a polish equal to that of marble, and it retains its smooth 
 surface to this day although it has been exposed to the mon- 
 soons of fifteen centuries. 
 
 Those who have ascended this rock in modern times are 
 few, for its galleries in most parts have entirely collapsed. 
 The feat was a most dangerous one until some iron handrails 
 were fixed by the government department of public works. 
 Even now in many parts a slip would mean instant death ; 
 but a few years ago the adventurous spirits who climbed 
 this rock — and some half a dozen Englishmen are known to 
 have done so — had to walk along six-inch grooves on the 
 bare face of the cliff. This, I believe, would only be pos- 
 sible to the barefooted, and even then exceedingly dangerous. 
 Moreover, there were other risks than slipping. The rock is 
 noted for its colonies of bees, with an intensely painful and 
 poisonous sting, which frequently attack and even disable the 
 coolies at work upon the excavations. An assault by a hive 
 of these when upon the six-inch ledge would certainly mean a 
 fall down a sheer precipice of two or three hundred feet. 
 
 Sixty feet above the gallery illustrated by our Plates xxxii 
 and xxxiii there is a sort of pocket or shallow cave with some 
 remarkable frescoes on its walls. They represent groups of 
 females, probably queens and their attendants, and the colour- 
 ing is still marvellously fresh and bright. This place is 
 accessible only by means of ladders hung on stays driven into 
 the face of the rock, but the figures and the colouring can be 
 seen very clearly by means of a field glass from the terraces 
 below. Plate xxxiv shows the position of the frescoes, but being 
 photographed by a telephoto lens at a great distance it does 
 
Plate XXXIV. 
 
 FRESCOES UPON SIGIRI. 
 
 “ Sixty feet above the gallery there is a sort of pocket or shallow 
 cave with some remarkable frescoes on its walls. They represent 
 groups of females, probably queens and their attendants, and the 
 colouring is still marvellously fresh and bright. This place is 
 accessible only by means of ladders hung on stays driven into the 
 face of the rock.” — -Page 98. 
 

 
 
 
 
 

SIGIRI. 
 
 99 
 
 little more than give a faint outline of the figures, and show 
 
 the rough jungle stick ladders just referred to. Mr. A. Murray 
 
 ascended to them in 1889, and the careful drawings that 
 he made and coloured like the originals may be seen in the 
 Colombo Museum. He says “the freshness- of the colouring 
 is wonderful ; and it is curious that green predominates, a 
 colour rarely, if ever, used by native artists of the present day. 
 In some portions of the roof that are more exposed to the 
 elements the plaster has fallen away, affording a fair indication 
 of the method by which it was attached to the rock. This was 
 first chiselled to a fairly smooth surface, then a layer of finely 
 tempered clay, mixed with rice husk and straw applied half an 
 
 inch thick, and over this an equal thickness of lime mortar 
 
 worked to an exceedingly smooth surface, upon which the 
 paintings are executed.” 
 
 In 1894 the Government archaeological commissioner, Mr. 
 Bell, took the risk of a climb to the summit by means of the 
 ladders and the shallow rock grooves already referred to in 
 order to gain a notion of the amount of work that would be 
 necessary to fully complete the exploration. Since that time 
 much has been done in clearing and excavating, and Mr. Bell 
 has published an interim report of his operations, in which, 
 referring to the summit, he says : — ■ 
 
 “ Excavations were started from the head of the steps which 
 still mark the point where the ‘ gallery ’ reached the summit at 
 the north-east edge of the rock. Progress was necessarily slow. 
 The intense — almost unbearable — heat on the exposed and 
 shadeless rock ; only impure water from the pokuna to slake 
 thirst ; and an unusual depth (fifteen feet in places) to deal 
 with of caked brick and stone debris, held together by tree 
 roots, all rendered the daily task no light one. 
 
 “It soon became patent that we had to face ruins of at 
 least two periods. Walls were found to run over walls, pave- 
 ment above pavement, and stairs below stone ramps. I 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 MINNERIA. 
 
 ROM Sigiri we retrace our steps through the 
 forest to Inamaluwa and drive thence to Haba- 
 rane, which is six miles further north on the 
 main road to Trincomalee. Here the comfort- 
 able quarters which we find at the rest-house are 
 the more welcome after the toil of our visit to 
 the rock fortress. It is indeed a surprise to find in that wild 
 and sparsely inhabited part of the country such a clean and 
 well appointed little bungalow for the use of travellers, and our 
 satisfaction is none the less upon discovering that it is in 
 
 charge of a clever servant who is an excellent cook. Having 
 sent forward notice of our coming, upon our arrival at 8.30 p.m. 
 we are punctually served with a dinner beyond reproach. No 
 
 doubt hunger is an admirable sauce, and we arrive with a 
 
 good supply, but still we are of opinion that the fare is better 
 than the ordinary traveller could reasonably expect. These 
 little details of the comfort afforded to visitors by the very 
 practical provisions of the Government are not without interest, 
 and the blessings of wayfarers are showered daily on the pro- 
 vidence of our rulers. 
 
 Upon leaving Habarane for the lake of Minneria and the 
 ruined city of Polonnaruwa, we quit the main road and are 
 
 cast upon our own resources. For a few miles a minor road 
 which is in course of construction serves us, and we proceed 
 easily enough until within two or three miles of Minneria, when 
 we have to trudge through marshes, our visit being made at 
 the end of the wet season. 
 
102 
 
 MINNERIA . 
 
 Whatever the discomfort of this may be, we forget it at 
 the first glimpse of the lake. No words can adequately describe 
 a thing of such exquisite beauty. Killarney and other well- 
 known beautiful expanses of water and woodland may be 
 mentioned in comparison, but at Minneria there are many 
 additional charms of which climate is not the least. The 
 islands and woodlands unexplored for a thousand years are so 
 thoroughly things of nature. Then the creatures everywhere 
 add to the romance ; the myriads of curious birds, many of 
 great size and magnificent plumage ; the crocodiles lazily bask- 
 ing upon the banks, and the spotted deer often darting across 
 the open glades. Even the knowledge that the elephant, the 
 bear, and the leopard, though out of sight, are present in large 
 numbers, lends additional interest to a scene which is beyond 
 description. 
 
 We find a modest bungaletta commanding one of the finest 
 views from the bund. It is unfurnished, but in it we take up 
 our quarters for the night, our native servants cleverly rigging 
 up stick bedsteads to keep us high above the floor, a necessary 
 precaution for the avoidance of malarial fever. In such a 
 climate protection from cold is unnecessary, but something more 
 than a tent is advisable owing to the miasma from decaying 
 vegetation. 
 
 There are no ruins of any importance to inspect in the 
 neighbourhood of this lake, but the lake itself is so well worth 
 seeing that we are glad to spend a night here both on our 
 outward and return journeys. Its history, too, is of very con- 
 siderable interest in connection with our subject generally. It 
 is said to have been constructed in the third century by Maha 
 Sen, to whom reference has been made at Anuradhapura. 
 Its circumference is about twenty miles. The masonry and 
 earthwork dams which were formed to divert the waters of 
 the stream which fills it extend for many miles and average a 
 height of about eighty feet. 
 
Plate XXXVI. 
 
 RETURNING FROM PO LON N A R U W A AT 
 EVENTIDE. 
 
 “ Our party may be seen by reference to Plate xxxvi. The 
 scene is one of the open spaces which occur at intervals , and re- 
 lieve the monotony of the jungle tracts through which the journey 
 for the most part has to be made." — Page 105. 
 

isii'ar'wmMHM© if®©sh ^©^©i^jyisww^ ^,1? Ji'W’HSf'S’Sffiiii, 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MINNERIA . 
 
 103 
 
 Nothin" occasions us greater wonder or more fully attests 
 the enormous energy of the ancient kings than the construction 
 of these giant tanks and the numerous smaller ones dependent 
 on them, forming a system of irrigation that established plenty 
 throughout large districts otherwise beyond the pale of culti- 
 vation. Such works were not confined merely to the northern 
 plains which are now so sparsely populated, but extended over 
 the whole country. Even in the mountains of the Central Pro- 
 vince at an elevation of six thousand feet we find remains of 
 masonry and earthworks which were designed to divert the 
 streams and rivers to those plains which were subject to 
 periodical drought. There is evidence everywhere of such feats 
 of engineering skill in irrigation matters as would in these days 
 be a matter of pride to any nation. How they were possible 
 in early times is only to be understood by a complete grasp 
 of the conditions of government under which the ancient race 
 existed. 
 
 There was undoubtedly a dense population under obligation 
 of free labour in the king’s service. They held their lands 
 on condition of devoting a large share of their efforts to what 
 was called rajah-karia — king’s service. Under this tenure the 
 monarch claimed free labour for the construction of irrigation 
 works and the building of temples and shrines. Such serfdom 
 as this for the common good was no hardship in a country 
 where agricultural pursuits, consisting chiefly of growing rice, 
 could be carried on with a small demand on the labourers’ 
 time ; where the tanks for storing and the channels for dis- 
 tributing the necessary water were so well made and so 
 skilfully arranged that the precious fertilizer could be admitted 
 to the fields at the exact time required and the surplus drawn 
 off with equal ease at the proper moment. Such compulsory 
 service was entirely for their own good, and its necessity is only 
 too apparent at the present time when in a state of freedom it 
 is found to be so difficult to restore the former conditions of 
 
104 
 
 MINNERIA. 
 
 health and prosperity ; so much so that what has been done 
 is, as we have hinted before, the result of a half-hearted com- 
 promise whereby the people have been enticed to give a 
 certain amount of free labour in consideration of a greater 
 contribution by the Government. 
 
 There are still lands belonging to Buddhist temples held by 
 tenants on the condition of supplying labour for keeping the 
 temples in repair, or of cultivating other lands to provide funds 
 for the temple service ; but the compulsory service for the tanks 
 which fifty years ago might have been re-introduced to the 
 salvation of the natives is now impossible, freedom having been 
 prematurely granted to a people whose character is still such 
 that they need a wise system of paternal control. That the 
 provinces now lying waste will be restored to prosperity there 
 is little doubt, but it will be done with greater difficulty and 
 less speedily than might have been the case under the old 
 regime. There are some five thousand tanks to be repaired 
 and brought into a state of efficiency before this consummation 
 can be reached ; but the good work is proceeding. 
 
 At Minneria we find an engineer officer of the Public Works 
 Department with a large staff of labourers at work upon the 
 several ancient lakes which it is hoped will again serve the 
 hundreds of smaller village tanks in the large district now 
 centred by the ruins of the once mighty city of Polonnaruwa. 
 To this gentleman, Mr. Weinman, we are indebted for 
 valuable assistance without which we should be unable to 
 reach the goal of our ambition. Not only had news that the 
 jungle tracks were impassable and that the open country was all 
 under water reached us from the headman of the district who 
 had told us that it was impossible to reach Polonnaruwa at 
 that time, but the drivers of the bullocks had heard of the 
 prevalence of the cattle disease and with the coolies were on 
 the brink of mutiny. We were, however, determined to make 
 the attempt, and our good friend the district engineer above 
 
Plate XXXVII. 
 
 EN ROUTE FOR POLONNARUWA. 
 
 “ Shouts of ‘ thalu, thalu’ (lift, lift) from the coolies ring 
 through the forest as they haul the cart bodily out of the mud 
 holes.” — Page 105. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
MINNERIA . 
 
 105 
 
 referred to then lent us his aid in the shape of a further supply 
 of coolies to replace the disaffected. 
 
 Once on the way the coolies became manageable enough. 
 Our party may be seen by reference to Plate xxxvi. The 
 scene is one of the open spaces which occur at intervals 
 to relieve the monotony of the jungle tracks through which 
 the journey for the most part has to be made. The rough 
 nature of these tracks may be gathered by reference to 
 Plate xxxvii, where one of our baggage carts seems to require 
 the services of Hercules. Shouts of “ thalu, thalu ” (lift, lift) 
 from the coolies ring through the forest as they haul the cart 
 bodily out of the mud holes. We are struck with admiration 
 and surprise at the power and pluck of the little bullocks, who 
 after having fallen upon their knees in pulling their load up the 
 steep of a torrent bed would never allow their humps to shirk 
 the pole, but continued to push with all their might until the 
 heavy weight behind them triumphantly emerged once more 
 upon the level. 
 
 No less surprising is the skill of the drivers, whose keen 
 watchfulness and ready resource are in request for three hours 
 at a stretch, when every other minute promises an inevitable 
 upset; at one moment they encourage their “steeds” to charge 
 a trunk hurled across the path by some freakish elephant, and 
 with resistless force the wheels strike and jump the obstruction ; 
 at another they crash down a steep incline amidst boulders of 
 rock and through a stream of doubtful depth. Only, however, 
 when the courageous little animals get literally wedged in some 
 crevice do the eighteen coolies render any but lip service, and 
 supplement their war whoop by real lifting. 
 
 Thus for about twelve miles we proceed in the direction of 
 Polonnaruwa, at a pace not exceeding one mile and a half an 
 hour. For the most part the tracks which we follow lie through 
 dense forests, but the journey is by no means monotonous. 
 
 0 
 
io6 
 
 MINNERIA . 
 
 Apart from the incidents connected with our baggage transit 
 there is sport to be had on the way. Spotted deer frequently 
 bound across our path ; large grey jackals put in an occasional 
 appearance ; the small black bear is there in goodly numbers ; 
 while elephants excite our wonder and curiosity at frequent 
 intervals by their noiseless gliding off upon winding our approach, 
 leaving evidence of their flight in fresh footprints in the soft 
 earth. We seldom see a herd although many are near us, 
 and if we are curious as to the size of individuals we have 
 to content ourselves with measuring the diameter of their foot- 
 prints— “ex pede Herculem.” 
 
 At one point of our journey we come across some hunters 
 of the Afghan race surrounded by their captives recently taken 
 and still bound as shown in our Plate xxxviii. The Afghans 
 who may be seen in the picture standing by their hut in the 
 jungle have come to catch and export elephants to their own 
 country. They are allowed to do this upon paying the Ceylon 
 Government ten rupees for each elephant caught and a royalty 
 of two hundred rupees for each one exported. There is a 
 steady demand for them to supply the courts of the rajahs in 
 India, and the enterprising Afghan is the man who does the 
 business although he does not actually effect the capture. His 
 method is to temporarily establish himself in some district 
 where herds of elephants are known to be, and engage a party 
 of Singhalese to capture them under his instructions. The 
 Afghan alone carries a gun while the Singhalese are provided 
 with ropes made from the fibre of the Kitool palm. They hide 
 themselves near some spot where a herd is likely to come, and 
 upon its arrival the Afghan fires off his gun merely to alarm 
 the game. A stampede ensues and the Singhalese lasso them 
 as they bolt. The noose flies round the leg of the beast, 
 
 and with wondrous celerity the other end of the rope is coiled 
 round the nearest large tree, and the elephant is left there until 
 thoroughly subdued. 
 
Plate XXXVIII. 
 
 ELEPHANT HUNTERS AT POLONNARU W A . 
 
 “ At one point of our journey we come across some hunters of 
 the Afghan race surrounded by their captives recently taken and 
 still bound." — Page 106. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
51IL51IPSI.&,SS‘3I 1 SWSJ^HIES &T IFOILOKSJ^IEWWJ! 
 

 
MINNERIA . 
 
 107 
 
 We are now within two miles of the ancient city, and our 
 bullock drivers refuse to proceed further, but we are deter- 
 mined to reach it in spite of every discouragement from all 
 manner of persons acquainted with the district including the 
 Dissawe or headman who resides there. We argue that where 
 carts had been carts might go again, but are met by the 
 reply that the rains have been greater than for years and the 
 country is therefore impassable. We then resolve to leave the 
 carts and proceed on foot, the coolies carrying our baggage on 
 their heads. We are told that the journey is possible for bare- 
 footed coolies, but that no European can walk through the 
 mud and water. However, we proceed and even enjoy the 
 novel experience, though we arrive only just in time to save 
 being caught by the darkness. 
 
 No one could be more astonished at our arrival than the 
 Dissawe, Mr. Gabriel Jayewardene, who had in several letters 
 cautioned us against attempting to come before the wet season 
 was quite over. Elis surprise did not affect 
 the warmth of his welcome, and we were 
 the first visitors for two years. He placed 
 at our disposal a little bungalow in a lovely 
 position on the bank of the Topawewa, 
 the principal lake of the old city. The 
 bungalow was empty and slightly out of 
 repair, but we were so elated at the com- 
 pletion of our journey that we did not criti- 
 cise the sumptuousness of our shelter and 
 proceeded to make ourselves happy upon the bare floors ; but 
 the Dissawe soon laid us under further obligation by supplying 
 us with tables, chairs, and fresh milk, besides offering for the 
 morrow his services as cicerone. 
 
 THE DISSAWE. 
 

 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
POLONNARUWA. 
 
 iog 
 
 The new capital, however, soon made amends, and grew 
 with amazing rapidity until in its religious buildings, its royal 
 palaces, its lakes and gardens, it eclipsed the older city in 
 splendour as it did in extent. It was not, however, to remain 
 long in tranquillity. The Tamils soon made their way thither 
 and the old struggle was repeated. Sometimes under a strong 
 native king religion nourished and a spell of general prosperity 
 was experienced, only to be followed by a period of disaster 
 and destruction. 
 
 That the Singhalese should have been able notwithstanding 
 this constant disquiet to build and maintain a city of such un- 
 unrivalled wealth, beauty, and power, is proof enough of the 
 splendid qualities of the race. For one century only, however, 
 during the Polonnaruan epoch did they have a fair opportunity 
 of exercising their natural faculties to full advantage. What 
 they needed were freedom from the harassing incursions of 
 marauders and a cessation of domestic rivalry amongst their 
 rulers. These they obtained about the middle of the twelfth 
 century, when there arose a genuine hero who commanded the 
 allegiance of all his subjects. This monarch, Parakrama the 
 Great, not only regained possession of the whole of the country 
 by expelling the Tamils and quieting all disaffection, but even 
 invaded India and other more distant countries. Under his 
 rule the city of Polonnaruwa reached the zenith of its great- 
 ness, and we shall best gather the story of the desolate but 
 impressive remains that we are about to visit by a review of 
 Parakrama’s reign as related in the Mahawansa. 
 
 We may at once say that the reader need not regard either 
 the noble qualities or the innumerable great works which the 
 historian assigns to this monarch as one whit extravagant or 
 romantic, as they are fully attested by existing evidence. 
 
 In his youth we are told he was quick in the attainment 
 of arts and sciences, and by the help of a higher wisdom he 
 
I IO 
 
 POLONNA R UWA . 
 
 perfected himself in the knowledge of laws, religion, logic, 
 poetry and music, and in the manly arts of riding and the use 
 of the sword and the bow. He seems to have studied the arts 
 of peace equally with those of war, and it is remarkable that 
 even before he had entered upon the campaigns that were to 
 bring the whole country under his dominion he formed his 
 plans for restoring prosperity to the soil. In his first speech to 
 his ministers he is reported to have said : "In a country like 
 this not even the least quantity of rain water should be allowed 
 
 to How into the ocean without profiting man 
 
 Remember that it is not meet that men like unto us should 
 live and enjoy what has come into our hands and care not 
 for the people. Let there not be left anywhere in my kingdom 
 a piece of land, though it be of the smallest dimensions, that 
 does not yield some benefit to man.” 
 
 To strengthen his hand before he entered upon the conquest 
 of the rebellious tribes he arranged for the residence in his own 
 palaces of the youth of all the noble families that they might 
 grow up “ familiar with the service of kings and become skilled 
 in managing horses and elephants and in fencing.” 
 
 Finding the wealth that he had inherited insufficient for 
 the prosecution of his plans, he devised means of filling 
 his treasury without oppressing the people. He increased the 
 export of gems, and placed trustworthy officers over the re- 
 venue. And in order that the efficiency of his army might be 
 improved he instituted mock battles, and personally selected 
 the most dexterous for places of honour in the field. 
 
 When every department was perfect and his materiel of 
 war prepared, having reviewed his army, he entered upon a 
 series of contests with the various chieftains who still held 
 possession of the greater part of the country. We pass over 
 the particulars of the battles that he fought and won, our 
 purpose being rather to follow the fortunes of the royal city. 
 
JETAWANARAMA FROM THE NORTH. 
 
 “ The exterior decoration of the building is distinctly Hindu in 
 character, ivhich is the more strange ivhen we consider that the 
 Jetavana, after which this temple and its adjoining monastery are 
 supposed to he built , was the famous temple of Buddha himself.” 
 
 — Page 115. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Plate XL I. 
 
 J ETA WAN ARAMA FROM THE SOUTH-WEST. 
 (See Page 115.) 
 

 

 
 
POLONNARUWA. 
 
 T T I 
 
 When the various pretenders and disaffected tribes had 
 been subdued or won over, as much by admiration of the great 
 Prakrama as by the force of his arms, he submitted to a second 
 coronation, which is described by the historian in the following 
 words: — “On that day the deafening sound of divers drums 
 was terrible, even as the rolling of the ocean when it is shaken 
 to and fro by the tempest at the end of the world. And the 
 elephants, decked with coverings of gold, made the street before 
 the palace to look as if clouds had descended thereon with 
 flashes of lightning ; and with the prancing of the steeds of war 
 the whole city on that day seemed to wave even like the sea. 
 And the sky was wholly shut out of sight with rows of 
 umbrellas of divers colours and with lines of flags of gold. 
 And there was the waving of garments and the clapping of 
 hands. And the inhabitants of the city shouted, saying, 
 ‘ Live ! O live ! great king ! ’ And there was feasting over the 
 whole land, which was filled with arches of plantains inter- 
 mingled with rows of flower-pots ; and hundreds of minstrels 
 chanted songs of praise, and the air was filled with the smoke 
 of sweet incense. Many persons also arrayed themselves in 
 cloths of divers colours and decked themselves in ornaments of 
 divers kinds ; and the great soldiers who were practised in 
 war, mighty men, armed with divers kinds of weapons, and 
 with the mien of graceful heroes, moved about hither and 
 thither like unto elephants that had broken asunder their 
 bonds. 
 
 “ By reason of the many archers also, who walked about 
 with their bows in their hands, it seemed as if an army of gods 
 had visited the land ; and the city with its multitude of palaces, 
 gorgeously decorated with gold and gems and pearls, seemed 
 like unto the firmament that is studded with stars. 
 
 “ And this mighty king, with eyes that were long like the 
 lily, caused many wonderful and marvellous things to be 
 
1 1 2 
 
 POLONNARUWA. 
 
 displayed, and adorned himself with divers ornaments, and 
 ascended a golden stage supported on the backs of two ele- 
 phants that were covered with cloth of gold. And he bore on 
 his head a crown that shone with the rays of gems, like as the 
 eastern mountain beareth the glorious and rising sun. And 
 casting into the shade the beauty of spring by the strength of 
 his own beauty, he drew tears of joy from the eyes of the 
 beautiful women of the city. And he marched round the city, 
 beaming with the signs of happiness, and, like unto the god 
 with the thousand eves, entered the beauteous palace of the 
 king.” 
 
 Peace being established and the ceremony of the second 
 coronation over, Parakrama applied himself at once to the 
 advancement of religion and the welfare of the people. 
 Buddhism had been riven to its very core by heresies and 
 distracted by the disputes of its various fraternities ; the great 
 families had been ruined and scattered ; crowds of poor were 
 starving without any regulated means of relief ; and the sick 
 were absolutely uncared for. The king first brought about a re- 
 conciliation of the rival religious brotherhoods, a task in which 
 his predecessors had for centuries failed, and which cost him 
 more labour than the re-establishment of the kingdom. He 
 erected alms-halls in every quarter of the city, making them 
 beautiful with gardens, and endowing them with every necessity 
 for the poor. He next built hospitals for the sick, in whom he 
 took great personal interest, being himself a skilled physician. 
 These were equipped with a staff so ample that no sick person 
 was at any moment left without an attendant ; and the king 
 himself was their visitor, showing great pity and enquiring fully 
 of the physicians as to their manner of treatment, ofttimes ad- 
 ministering medicine with his own hands. Thus did his great 
 natural kindness of heart endear him to the people. 
 
 Having secured the happiness of his people so long op- 
 pressed, he proceeded to enlarge and adorn the famous city 
 
Plate XLII. 
 
 THUPARAMA AT POLONNARUWA. 
 
 (See Page i i 5.) 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Plate XLIII. 
 
 ENTRANCE TO THE TPIUPARAMA AT 
 POLONNARU WA. 
 
 (See Page ii6.) 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
POLONNARUWA. 
 
 113 
 
 of Polonnaruwa. With a keen determination that the works 
 upon which he was about to spend great treasure should not 
 suffer the fate of those of his predecessors which were so 
 frequently plundered by the invader he turned his attention 
 especially to the question of fortifications. He placed a chain 
 of massive ramparts around the city and within this three 
 lesser walls. There is not much doubt of the existence of 
 these, and their eventual discovery will be a subject of great 
 interest to future explorers. 
 
 Although Parakrama is credited with such genuine solicitude 
 for his people that his memory even now is greatly revered, 
 he was not less mindful of his own temporal comforts. He 
 built for himself the Vejayanta, a palace of great splendour. 
 It had seven stories, and its thousand rooms were no less 
 remarkable for the massive and beautiful pillars that supported 
 the floors than its roof which was surmounted by hundreds 
 of pinnacles wrought in precious metals. The furnishing was 
 equally sumptuous, from carpets of great value to the tables 
 inlaid with ivory and gold. 
 
 The religious buildings erected by him during his reign of 
 thirty-three years were very numerous, and for the most part 
 of colossal proportion. Amongst them as showing the king’s 
 toleration of all religious systems is mentioned one for “ pro- 
 pitiatory rites to be performed therein by Brahmans”; as well 
 as a circular house “ where he himself might listen to the 
 jatakas of Buddha, read by the learned priest who dwelt there.” 
 
 Nor were places of entertainment omitted. He built theatres 
 glittering with golden pillars and delighted the assemblage with 
 paintings representing scenes of their hero’s exploits ; halls of 
 recreation in which it seemed “ as if the hall of assembly 
 of the gods had descended to the earth, and the manners 
 and customs of the whole world had been gathered together 
 into one place.” 
 
POLONNA R UWA . 
 
 114 
 
 The native chronicle refers to a temple built in the reign 
 of Parakrama for the relic of Buddha’s tooth, but neither of 
 the ruins yet discovered can be positively identified as the one 
 mentioned. It is said to have shone with roofs, doors and 
 windows of gold and countless works of art both within and 
 without, and to have been ornamented with canopies of divers 
 colours. “ It was like unto the palace of the goddess of beauty, 
 and shone with a lustre so great that all that was delightful 
 on earth seemed to have been gathered together and brought 
 into one place.” 
 
 The Mahawansa has also many references to the pleasant 
 parks and gardens of the city in which the ornamental baths 
 so frequently met with amongst the ruins were a special feature. 
 One of the gardens is said to have been famous for “ a bathing 
 hall that dazzled the eyes of the beholder, and from which 
 issued forth sprays of water conducted through pipes by means 
 of machines, making the place to look as if the clouds poured 
 down rain without ceasing.” 
 
 Most of the remains of the city thus nobly enriched by the 
 greatest of Singhalese kings are buried beneath many feet of 
 soil or hidden in the dense forest that has overgrown the 
 many thousands of acres over which they extend ; but by the 
 assistance of our good friend the Dissawe and his peace officer 
 we are enabled to find all those which have been made 
 accessible. The dagabas have all the characteristics of their 
 prototypes at Anuradhapura less the charm of greater antiquity, 
 so we will not repeat descriptions already given, but merely 
 remark that they are numerous and in some cases of enormous 
 dimensions. We shall find more advantage in interesting 
 ourselves in those ruins which are distinctly characteristic of the 
 mediaeval city. 
 
 First, let us glance at the Jetawanarama temple, perhaps 
 the most imposing pile remaining (Plates xxxix, xl, and xli). 
 
Plate XLIV. 
 
 K O T U W A. 
 
 “ Parasitic plants take root in the crevices, and growing into 
 great trees rend the walls. Our Plate serves to show how they 
 creep over the brickwork and push their way into great masses of 
 masonry.” — Page i i 7. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
'v.:» 
 
 

POLONNAKUWA. 
 
 115 
 
 It is a building of one hundred and seventy feet in length with 
 walls about twelve feet thick and eighty feet high. Though 
 built of red brick it appears to have been plastered with 
 chunam, which still adheres in patches, as may easily be seen 
 by reference to Plate xxxix. This is a view from the east 
 showing the entrance between the two polygonal turrets. The 
 warm tints of the crumbling bricks interspersed with lighter 
 patches where the polished chunam still remains have a 
 pleasing effect in the masses of green forest around, the com- 
 plete scene when suddenly bursting on the sight being perhaps 
 the most impressive we shall meet with. The dilapidated figure 
 of Buddha, sixty feet high, opposite the entrance, gives a crest- 
 fallen appearance to the whole. The exterior decoration of the 
 building is distinctly Hindu in character, which is the more 
 strange when we consider that the Jetavana, after which this 
 temple and its adjoining monastery are supposed to be built, 
 was the famous temple of Buddha himself. But the curious 
 mixture of Hindu character with that which is purely Buddhist 
 is a special feature of the Polonnaruwan buildings. The cause 
 is rather difficult to decide. It may be due to the influence of 
 the victorious Hindus who at intervals held the island during 
 several centuries combined with the broad eclecticism of Bud- 
 dhism, but it is a question too abstruse and speculative to enter 
 upon here at length. 
 
 There are doubtless beneath the soil foundations of many 
 noble buildings around this temple. The native chronicle refers 
 to eight stately houses of three stories built for the priests, and 
 for the chief priest a mansion of great splendour containing 
 many halls and chambers, also seventy image houses of three 
 stories, besides a great number of lesser halls and libraries. 
 
 The Thuparama illustrated by our Plates xlii and xliii is no 
 less interesting and picturesque. It is an oblong brick building 
 with a square tower. The walls are very massive, and for the 
 
1 1 6 
 
 POLONN ARUW A. 
 
 most part quite five feet thick. It was to some extent explored 
 by Mr. S. M. Burrows in 1886, and the following is an extract 
 from his report to the Government : — “ The entrance to and 
 interior of this curious building was almost entirely blocked up 
 with fallen masonry and other debris. This has been removed 
 at a considerable cost of labour, for most of the fallen blocks 
 of masonry were so large that they had to be broken up with 
 the pickaxe before removal was possible. But the labour was 
 well expended, for the inner and principal shrine is one of the 
 very few buildings remaining to us in either capital with a 
 perfect roof ; certainly the only building of such a size, and it 
 presents a very remarkable example of the dimensions to which 
 the false arch was capable of attaining. The fragments of no 
 less than twelve statues of Buddha (none quite, though some 
 very nearly, perfect) were found in this shrine, while at the foot 
 of the large brick statue of Buddha which stands against the 
 western wall a large granite slab or stone seat (‘ gal-asanaya ’) 
 was uncovered, with an excellently preserved inscription running 
 round its four sides.” 
 
 The following is a translation of the inscription referred 
 to : — 
 
 “ His Majesty, Kalinga Chakrawarti Parakrama Bahu, who was a descen- 
 dant of the Okaka race, having made all Lanka’s isle to appear like a 
 festive island, having made all Lanka like unto a wishing-tree, having made 
 all Lanka like unto an incomparably decorated house, having subjugated in 
 war Sita, Choda, Gauda, &c., went to Maha Dambadiwa with great hosts ; 
 and seeing that because of his coming kings and others left their countries 
 and came to him for protection, he treated them with kindness and stilled 
 their fears ; and having met with no rival after his landing in Dambadiwa, 
 he erected pillars of victory, and again came to Lanka’s isle. Lanka having 
 been neglected for a long time, he erected alms-houses at different places 
 throughout the whole of Dambadiwa and Ceylon ; and on his return spent 
 ever so much treasure on mendicants. Not being content with all this, he 
 determined on a distribution of alms four times in every year, and by 
 (giving) gold, jewels, cloth, ornaments, &c., having extinguished the poverty 
 of the inhabitants of the world, and done good to the world and to religion, 
 this is the seat on which he sat to allay body weariness.” 
 
 The Thuparama is suffering greatly from the inroads of 
 vegetation. Parasitic plants take root in the crevices, and 
 
Plate XLV. 
 
 S AT- M A H A L- PR A S A I)A . 
 
 “ The Sat-mahal -prasada, or palaa of seven stories, is another 
 building the origin of which is veiled in mystery. Statues orna- 
 ment each story, and there are traces of a staircase within, but it 
 does not appear to lead to the summit, which can only be reached 
 from without by means of ladders." — Page 117. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POLONNAR UWA . 
 
 ii 7 
 
 growing into great trees rend the walls. Our Plate xliv serves 
 to show how they creep over the brickwork and push their 
 way into great masses of masonry. This picture of a spot 
 called Kotuwa, or the Fort, is introduced merely to show the 
 disruptive effect of trees on the brickwork. The building may 
 or may not have been a fort. Its massive walls, which are 
 all that is left, have no doubt suggested the name. 
 
 The Sat-mahal-prasada, or palace of seven stories, is another 
 building the origin of which is veiled in mystery. Statues 
 ornament each storey, and there are traces of a staircase within, 
 but it does not appear to lead to the summit, which can only 
 be reached from without by means of ladders. There is an 
 exterior flight of steps leading however only to the top of the 
 first storey. 
 
 The most venerable of all the relics of Buddha, the tooth, 
 experienced so many vicissitudes and translations during the 
 Tamil wars that the stories of its various hiding places, and 
 the temples built for its reception, as recorded in the ancient 
 chronicles, are somewhat confusing. In the account of Para- 
 krama’s foundation at Polonnaruwa (see page 114) we read of 
 the beautiful temple he built ; and again very little later the 
 historian tells of the temple built for it in the same city by 
 Nissanka Mafia, who came to the throne a.d. 1198, only two 
 years after Parakrama’s death. And as there are other allusions 
 to the arrival of the tooth at Polonnaruwa at a later date, it 
 may well be inferred that it was at various intervals removed 
 for safety. It is curious, however, that both Parakrama and 
 Nissanka Mafia should have built magnificent temples for the 
 same object about the same date, and to which of these 
 kings to ascribe the building known as the Dalada Maligawa at 
 Polonnaruwa, the remains of which present the most beautiful 
 specimen of stone work yet discovered (see Plate xlvi), it is 
 difficult to decide. The Mahawansa says that Nissanka “built 
 
1 1 8 
 
 POLONNA R UWA . 
 
 of stone the beautiful temple of the tooth-relic,” and what we 
 see is generally attributed to him ; but possibly the earlier 
 description refers to the same building, although it is generally 
 supposed that Parakrama’s shrine was a curious and elaborate 
 circular building known as the Wata Dage, and that a second 
 temple was built for the tooth by Nissanka. 
 
 It will be noticed from our Plate that the stone work is in 
 beautiful preservation considering its age. The roof has gone, 
 but the mouldings and toolings of the granite have scarcely 
 suffered at all from their exposure of seven centuries. 
 
 One of the most interesting of the discoveries at Polon- 
 naruwa is a rock temple with three colossal figures and a 
 shrine carved out of one huge boulder of dark brown granite 
 (Plate xlvii). This is known as the Gal Vihara. In spite 
 of appearances these figures are still part of the rock in which 
 they were hewn. The work is very cleverly done, and especially 
 the recumbent statue of Buddha, which is forty-six feet in 
 length. The head rests upon the right hand supported on a 
 bolster into which it sinks very naturally, suggesting nothing 
 but perfect repose ; the folds of the robe are also carved with 
 equal fidelity. The erect statue is thought to represent 
 Ananda, the favourite disciple of Buddha. It is twenty-three 
 feet high, and stands on a pedestal ornamented with lotus 
 leaves. Beyond this is the entrance to the temple itself, and 
 within an altar and an image of Buddha in sitting posture, all 
 carved out of the same rock in similar high relief. The shrine 
 has been profusely decorated and coloured by modern devotees. 
 At the farther end will be noticed a large sitting statue of 
 Buddha, the figure alone being fifteen feet high. It is a most 
 elaborate work, with a background of carved pagodas, and the 
 pedestal is ornamented with a frieze of lions and quaint 
 emblems. There is no doubt as to the date of this striking 
 and curious specimen of rock temple, as it is referred to in the 
 Mahawansa as the work of the great Parakrama. 
 
Plate XLVI. 
 
 DALADA MALIGAWA AT POLONNARUWA. 
 
 “ It will be noticed that the stonework is in beautiful preser- 
 vation considering its age. The roof has gone, but the mouldings 
 and toolings of the granite have scarcely suffered at all from 
 their exposure of seven centuries — Page i 18. 
 


 
POLONN ARUW A. 
 
 1 19 
 
 A complete description of even those ruins that have been 
 discovered in the explorations that have been made with such 
 limited resources is beyond the scope of the present work. How 
 many still lie hidden in the dense forest it is impossible to say, 
 but when we look at 
 the records of those 
 only which were built 
 during one or two of 
 the most prosperous 
 reigns we cannot help 
 being impressed with 
 the possibilities of 
 the great “ finds ” 
 that will be made 
 when the whole 
 province is again 
 cleared and brought 
 under cultivation. 
 
 Then railways will 
 convey thousands of 
 visitors from every 
 part of the world 
 to these ancient cities 
 which will surely find 
 their rightful place 
 among the monu- 
 ments of the world. 
 
 We must not take 
 our leave of the Po- 
 lonnaruwan remains 
 without a glimpse at 
 glance. A walk of a 
 embankment of the 
 
 STATUE OF KING PARAKRAMA. 
 
 parting 
 
 one which seems to deserve a 
 little more than a mile along the lofty 
 Topawewa, one of the most remarkable 
 
 instances of the highest art concealing itself, and more beautiful 
 
120 
 
 POLONNARUWA. 
 
 than ever now that it has been left for so many centuries to 
 the great artificer, Nature, brings us to a large hummock of 
 rock abruptly rising from the plain. In this rock is a striking 
 statue of King Parakrama carved, like that of the recumbent 
 Buddha, in the solid rock. The monarch, who raised most of 
 the temples and monuments of the city, stands with his back 
 to his great works holding an ola, or palm leaf book, in his 
 hands as if at the end of his glorious reign he had found in 
 the study of the Buddhist scriptures his final consolation. 
 
 With the death of Parakrama in 1197 the power of the 
 Singhalese nation began to decline. For a few years only at 
 the beginning of the thirteenth century was the country again 
 under capable government. The prosperity and wealth to which 
 the city had attained only served to excite the rapacity of 
 invaders. The Tamils, twenty thousand strong, under a chief 
 named Magha took Polonnaruwa in the year 1215 and laid 
 waste the whole country. “ This Magha,” says the Maha- 
 wansa, “ who was like unto a fierce drought, commanded his 
 army of strong men to ransack the kingdom of Lanka, even as 
 a wild fire doth a forest. Thereupon these wicked disturbers 
 of the peace stalked about the land hither and thither crying 
 out boastfully, ‘ Lo! we are the giants of Kerala.’ And they 
 robbed the inhabitants of their garlands and their jewels 
 and everything that they had. They cut off also the 
 hands and feet of the people and despoiled their dwellings. 
 Their oxen, buffaloes, and other beasts they bound up and 
 carried away forcibly. The rich men they tied up 
 with cord and tortured, and took possession of all their 
 wealth and brought them to poverty. They broke down the 
 image houses and destroyed many cetiyas. They took up 
 their dwellings in the viharas and beat the pious laymen 
 therein. They flogged children and sorely distressed the five 
 ranks of the religious orders. They compelled the people to 
 
Plate XLVII. 
 
 ROCK TEMPLE AT POLO N N A R U W A. 
 
 “ One of the most interesting of the discoveries at Polonnarmva 
 is a rock temple with three colossal figures and a shrine carved 
 out of one huge boulder of dark brown granite. This is known 
 as the Gal Vihara. In spite of appearances these figures are still 
 part of the rock in which they were hewn. The work is very 
 cleverly done, and especially the recumbent statue of Buddha, which 
 is forty-six feet in length .' — Page l IS. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Is&(Q) ©Us! TEMWS&m- ^ !P©IL(Q) SfivJ ' 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POL ON N A R U W A . 
 
 121 
 
 carry burdens and made them labour heavily. Many books 
 also of great excellence did they loose from the cords that 
 bound them and cast them away in divers places. Even 
 the great and lofty cetiyas they spared not, but utterly des- 
 troyed them, and caused a great many bodily relics which 
 were unto them as their lives to disappear thereby. Alas'! 
 alas ! Even so did those Tamil giants, like the giants of 
 Mara, destroy the kingdom and religion of the land. And then 
 they surrounded the city of Polonnaruwa on every side, and 
 took Parakrama Pandu captive and plucked out his eyes, and 
 robbed all the treasures that were therein with all the pearls 
 and precious stones.”*' 
 
 After this the Tamils ruled for many years, and in their 
 struggles with the natives continued the policy of destroying 
 their works of irrigation as the surest means towards their 
 end. Disease followed quickly in the wake of hunger, laying 
 waste and depopulating the country. A semblance of native 
 government was kept up at the various places to which the re- 
 maining tribes rallied from time to time, till the year 1552 first 
 — at least in this era — saw the white man on the shores of 
 Lanka. 
 
 * The quotations from the Mahawansa in this chapter have been taken from the 
 translation of Mudaliyar L. C. Wijesinha. 
 
 0 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE ROCK TEMPLES OF DAMBULLA AND 
 ALU WIHARI. 
 
 T remains now only to retrace our steps to 
 Colombo, and to visit on the way the famous 
 rock temples of Dambulla and the Aluwihari 
 at Matale, which date from the first century 
 b.c. In their natural state they were selected 
 as hiding places by King Walagambahu upon 
 his being driven by the Tamils from his throne at Anurad- 
 hapura. After fifteen years of exile he regained his throne, 
 and in gratitude for the protection they had afforded him 
 transformed them into temples. 
 
 Those at Dambulla are a series of five natural caverns 
 entered from a ledge near the summit of a huge boulder of 
 dark gneiss five hundred feet high and two thousand in length. 
 The ascent is made by a steep but picturesque stairway cut in 
 the natural rock. At the top of this a landscape bursts into 
 view that apart from the interest of the temples would well 
 repay a more toilsome climb. Ranges of mountains stretch 
 away over the Kandyan province in the dim grey distance ; 
 the rock of Sigiri rises in solitary grandeur from the dense 
 forest to the east ; and beneath us lie the rice fields granted 
 by the ancient kings as the endowment of the temples. 
 
 Our Frontispiece gives some idea of the formation of the 
 ledge and overhanging rock above the entrances to the caves 
 It is, however, difficult to get a photograph at all owing to 
 
DAM BULLA. 
 
 123 
 
 the short distance which it is possible to recede. This ledge 
 where we see three monks standing extends only to the tree 
 on the left and ends in a precipice. We see the rude 
 entrances to the caves on the right. They are, of course, 
 modern, and like all attempts at restoration in this period are 
 totally out of character with the place. But the scene pre- 
 sented on entering is imposing, though weird and grotesque. 
 We notice at once a strange mixture of Brahman and Bud- 
 dhist images and pictures. Here is Vishnu in wood standing 
 opposite to a colossal figure of Buddha recumbent in stone 
 forty-seven feet long and carved out of the solid rock. As 
 soon as the eye gets accustomed to the dim religious light we 
 notice that the walls are highly ornamented, and we learn 
 from the monks that some of the frescoes are nearly two 
 thousand years old. 
 
 In another compartment called the Maha Vihara there is 
 a statue of King Walagambahu, and upwards of fifty others 
 mostly larger than life size, many being images of Buddha, 
 though Hindu deities are not neglected. This cave is the 
 largest and grandest of all. It is about one hundred and sixty 
 by fifty feet, and at the entrance twenty-three feet high, the 
 roof sloping gradually down as we go further into the chamber 
 till at the back its height is but four feet. The student who is 
 interested in the relation between Buddhism and Hinduism 
 will remark a very curious blending of the symbols of both in 
 the frescoes with which the walls and ceilings are literally 
 covered. Not less noticeable are many historical scenes, among 
 them the famous combat between King Dutthagamini and the 
 Tamil prince Elara, to which we have already referred. There 
 are besides many quaint representations of earlier events, amongst 
 which the most curious is perhaps the landing of the Singhalese 
 under Prince Wijayo b.c. 543. The size of the fish who are 
 popping up their heads above the waves and menacing the ships 
 is that affected by all the ancient hydrographers. 
 
124 
 
 ALUWIIIARI. 
 
 The other two chambers are of the same shape though 
 smaller, and are furnished with a plentiful supply of objects 
 of worship, from the usual cyclopean monolithic Buddhas to 
 smaller images of the Hindu deities. 
 
 Few visitors enter these caverns without being greatly im- 
 pressed by the strange and eerie sight which seems to increase 
 as the eyes get more accustomed to the dimness, while some 
 are even haunted by the memory of the uncanny vision. 
 
 There are many interesting inscriptions on the bare face of 
 the rock, one of which is an ordinance that when absolute 
 grants of land are made such dispositions shall not be re- 
 corded on palm leaves, which are liable to be destroyed, but 
 shall be engraved upon plates of copper, to be imperishable 
 through all ages. This ordinance is attributed to the great 
 Parakrama, and it sometimes happens even now that a copper 
 title-deed figures in the law courts of Colombo as evidence in 
 disputed cases of ownership. 
 
 Leaving Dambulla we pursue our homeward journey for 
 some thirty-five miles until just before reaching Matale we turn 
 aside to the rock temple of Aluwihari, which claims our atten- 
 tion both as an extremely picturesque spot and one to which 
 is attached considerable literary interest. We take to a jungle 
 path off the main road till we come upon a flight of stone 
 steps which lead to what appears to have been originally a 
 cleft in the rock (see Plate iii). On the left side runs 
 a verandah, a modern tiled erection, which conceals the 
 entrance to a cavern sacred as the scene of King Walagam- 
 bahu’s convention of monks in the first century b.c., at which 
 were transcribed the sayings of Buddha hitherto preserved only 
 by tradition. The object of the convention was, however, not 
 confined to the mere committal to writing of the master’s 
 words but had in view also the provision of means of com- 
 
ALUWIHAR1. 
 
 125 
 
 bating the heresy of the Abhayagiriya fraternity, which, as we 
 have remarked in a previous chapter, was then causing serious 
 trouble at Anuradhapura. 
 
 To the enlightened Buddhist this secluded and compara- 
 tively unpretending cavern must be of infinitely greater interest 
 than the Temple of the Tooth or the Thuparama itself. 
 
 Protected by the verandah and painted on the exterior of 
 the rock are some interesting frescoes with a striking resem- 
 
 FRESCOES AT THE ALUWIHARI ROCK TEMPLE. 
 
 blance in idea as well as in execution to the rude mediaeval 
 illustrations of the punishments awaiting the impious in a future 
 state. Such representations are found in most Buddhist temples. 
 
 And now that we have made the round of the ruined cities we 
 cannot but be painfully impressed with the meagre knowledge 
 that is at present at our disposal. Only the merest fringe of this 
 
126 
 
 ALUWIHARI. 
 
 great subject has been touched. We have followed in the wake 
 of pious devotees and of a sympathetic Government who have, 
 no doubt, spent considerable sums in such work of renovation 
 and exploration as has already been accomplished. But this 
 is merely infinitesimal. The trackless jungle still covers the 
 greater part of the huge cities of Anuradhapura and Polonna- 
 ruwa, while other remains of its glorious past are scattered here 
 and there all over the island. The work of exploration proceeds 
 slowly ; more funds are needed, and these can only be expected 
 from Government sources. Not that the Buddhists of to-day 
 are indifferent to the monuments erected by the piety of their 
 forefathers. At the present moment a scion of the royal house of 
 Siam is devoting a large fortune to the restoration of the Mir- 
 iswetiya Dagaba at Anuradhapura ; but it is hopeless to expect 
 that the equally costly work of laying bare the buried remains 
 can be carried out by the private enterprise of individuals. 
 
 Should it be the good fortune of this unpretentious account, 
 of whose many imperfections no one is more conscious than the 
 author, to arouse the interest of those to whom the ruined 
 cities are unknown and to quicken that already existing, the 
 object of this volume will be amply realised. 
 

 
 
PARTICULARS OF 
 
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COLOMBO AND THE KELANI VALLEY 
 
 Hist of 3IIustiations. 
 
 Afterglow. 
 
 Outrigger Canoes. 
 
 From Prince Street to Pettah. 
 
 To the Fort Railway Station. 
 
 Colombo Lake. 
 
 Queen Street, Colombo, and the Lighthouse. 
 The Pettah. 
 
 A Ceylon Fishing Fleet. 
 
 Hindu Temple in Sea Street, Colombo. 
 
 Of an Age to be Clothed. 
 
 The Native Grocer. 
 
 The Tamil Barber. 
 
 A Shop which Pays no Rent. 
 
 In the Victoria Park. 
 
 In the Victoria Park. 
 
 Banyan Tree, with Young Aeeial Stems. 
 
 -The Pingo. 
 
 Banyan Tree. 
 
 Snake Charming. 
 
 j L'L 5 c > T . 
 
 The Hackery. 
 
 Galle Road, Colombo. 
 
 Afterglow, from the Shore of Bambala 
 
 PITIYA. 
 
 A Fishing Village. 
 
 Buddhist Temple at Dehiwala. 
 
 The Bambalapitiya Shore. 
 
 The Fish Auction. 
 
 Three Moratowa Maids are we. 
 Bambalapitiya. 
 
 Jungle in the Kelani Valley. 
 
 Jak Fruit. 
 
 View from Karawanella Bridge. 
 
 The Kelani River. 
 
 On Ruanwella Tea Estate. 
 
 Ruanwella Tea Estate. 
 
 Fording the Kelani at Ruanwella. 
 Companions. 
 
 Extracts from IRevuews. 
 
 TIMES. 
 
 “ Mr. Cave has caught with wonderful delicacy 
 of impression the strange reflections of lights in 
 the fleeting minutes between the sundown and the 
 sudden dark, when they blaze and flash, and fade 
 
 like the tints of the dying dolphin The 
 
 clean stems of the palms, the clinging parasites, 
 and the umbrageous foliage of the rich tropical 
 vegetation are reproduced with striking effect and 
 great fidelity." 
 
 EVENING STANDARD. 
 
 ‘‘This charming volume will enable the stay-at- 
 home public to obtain an excellent idea of the 
 loveliness of, perhaps, the most picturesque corner 
 of the Empire, the Island of Ceylon. The illustra- 
 tions are of rare beauty, and the subjects well 
 chosen, so that the reader can obtain a knowledge 
 not of the scenery only, but of the people and their 
 habitations.” 
 
 DAILY TELEGRAPH. 
 
 "Many a volume might be written of closely 
 printed descriptive matter which would not convey 
 nearly so good an idea of the beautiful Island of 
 Ceylon as the excellent photographs which are 
 here interspersed with a light and interesting run- 
 ning comment.” 
 
 THE SPEAKER. 
 
 “ The volume — a handsome quarto — gives a 
 better idea of the scenery of one of the most lovely 
 islands in the world than we have hitherto obtained 
 
 from books of travel These photographs are 
 
 thorough works of art, and the camera has, in this 
 instance at least, caught with remarkable success 
 much that is typical and impressive in the sights 
 of Colombo and the far-famed Kelani Valley. Not 
 the least beautiful of Mr. Cave’s photographs depict 
 ‘ The Afterglow ’ — a clump of palms bending over 
 a wide expanse of sea and thrown into relief against 
 a mystic sky, in which light and darkness are 
 
 struggling Photography has seldom been 
 
 more admirably turned to the poetic interpretation 
 of nature. The pithy and well-informed notes 
 which Mr. Cave has added are concerned with the 
 characteristics and manners of the people, as well 
 as with that which is most typical to Western eyes 
 in their outward surroundings.” 
 
 BLACK AND WHITE. 
 
 "The book is prettily illustrated and brightly 
 written. The author has produced it with a special 
 object — an object which is likely to be attained.” 
 
 THE ACADEMY. 
 
 " When the east wind bites the cheeks and chills 
 the bones, these pages transport one to the blessed 
 Island of Ceylon, and gently waft one to Colombo 
 and the Kelani Valley, with its palms, and feathery 
 
 j bamboos and fragrant warmth They give a 
 
 | faithful representation of the wonderful flora of the 
 
 island and the life of the natives Mr. Cave 
 
 | has done good work, and must be congratulated 
 ] upon the handsome volume he has produced. 
 
Extracts from Reviews of “Colombo and the Kelani Valley ” — continued. 
 
 Among many plates of excellence, ' The Afterglow ’ 
 and ‘The Kelani River’ stand out as fine specimens 
 
 of the photographic art Mr. Cave describes | 
 
 his work as a pictorial, not a literary effort, in 
 which he does himself an injustice: the letterpress 
 is short, interesting, and to the point.” 
 
 SPECTATOR. 
 
 “ ‘ This work,' says the author, ‘ is a pictorial, 
 not a literary effort.’ The letterpress which he so 
 modestly depreciates is sufficient for its purpose, 
 for it is adequately descriptive. As for the illustra- 
 tions, which are excellent reproductions of photo- 
 graphs, they are all that could be wished I 
 
 some are notably effective.” 
 
 SATURDAY REVIEW 
 
 “ Many of the studies of vegetation are excellent, 
 and of the rest those of sky effects — such as ‘ The 
 Afterglow ’ (the frontispiece), and that at page 32 — 
 have the charm of novelty not less than of success- 
 ful treatment.” 
 
 CEYLON INDEPENDENT. 
 
 "It is the finest and most handsomely got up 
 book on the subject of Ceylon that has yet been 
 published ; the most praiseworthy attempt to paint 
 the lily that we have ever seen.” 
 
 PHOTOGRAM. 
 
 ” One of the handsomest and most interesting 
 books recently illustrated by any photo process. 
 .... The brief running comment is very interest- j 
 ing and attractively written. The illustrations are 
 from an unusually good set of negatives, both 
 artistically and technically — work that would 
 astonish many.” 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS 
 
 “ The book is so pleasantly written that the 
 reader soon becomes interested in it, and what 
 better testimonial can a book have ? The volume, 
 however, is chiefly noteworthy for its wealth of 
 capital illustrations.” 
 
 CEYLON OBSERVER 
 
 " At length Ceylon is in a fair way to have full 
 justice done to its varied beauties of scenery and 
 vegetation, and to the picturesque character of its 
 people of different races and their industrial pur- 
 suits. The extremely handsome book before us is, 
 we learn, the first of a series planned by Mr. H. W. 
 Cave with much enterprise, and carried out, in this 
 instance, in a style which, whether we have regard I 
 to the artist’s or the typographer’s art, leaves j 
 nothing to be desired. The illustrations, of which : 
 there are thirty-six in this first part, are reproduced ! 
 from the photographs taken by Mr. Cave himself 
 during his last visit to the island, and which excited ; 
 so much interest when exhibited at the Camera 
 
 Club in London One of the handsomest 
 
 gift-books ever produced for Ceylon or any other 
 tropical country.” 
 
 THE FIELD. 
 
 “ The surpassing beauty of some of the scenery 
 of Ceylon has often been" described by those who 
 have visited the island ; it has, however, remained 
 for Mr. Cave to make some of it familiar to the 
 public in the handsome volume now before us. 
 .... The letterpress is well written, and contains } 
 information as to the scenes depicted that adds 1 
 considerably to their interest.” 
 
 BIRMINGHAM GAZETTE. 
 
 “The purpose of the author of this delightful 
 volume has been to enable the friends of European 
 residents in Ceylon, and others who are interested 
 in the island, to obtain a better idea of its charming 
 features than verbal description can possibly supply. 
 The pictures appear to have been selected with the 
 greatest care and a keen view to effect. The 
 volume is superbly printed even in these days of 
 typographical excellence, and forms a beautiful 
 souvenir of the Island of Ceylon, which visitors 
 and strangers alike should prize.” 
 
 CEYLON EXAMINER. 
 
 “ Whatever its successors may be, we may be 
 sure that, judging from the volume Mr. Cave has 
 given us, they will be of high merit both as artistic 
 
 and literary efforts It is difficult to say, as 
 
 we turn over the pages, which class of scenes claims 
 our admiration most — the busy street scenes ; the 
 types of native character; the expanse of sea and 
 coast; the views across the Lake and the Kelani 
 River ; or the vegetation and landscape both in the 
 
 low and in the hill country We need only 
 
 say of the work generally that it is difficult often to 
 decide to whom to give the palm — to the artist on 
 the one hand or to the author on the other ; and 
 that the book is a gift-book well suited for all times 
 of the year, and none the less for this, when those 
 sojourning and even permanently residing here may- 
 wish their kith and kin and friends beyond the sea, 
 no matter in what corner of the globe, to obtain 
 an impression of what parts of this island are like.” 
 
 OVERLAND MAIL 
 
 1 1 The natural beauties of Ceylon are unques- 
 tionable, and they were never more happily por- 
 trayed than in Mr. Henry Cave's attractive quarto. 
 
 . . . . The letterpress has distinct merits of its 
 own, nowhere sinking to the guide-book level. 
 Besides helping the reader to appreciate the illus- 
 trations, Mr. Cave tells us about things which 
 neither the photographic camera nor the artist's 
 pencil can place on record ; about the customs of 
 the natives and the daily life of the European 
 community, as well as something of the past history 
 of the island. Among several plates which would 
 deserve mention, we may, perhaps, single out a view 
 of the jungle in the Kelani Valley as especially 
 beautiful from an artistic point of view ; while as a 
 feat of photographic skill, nothing could be more 
 perfect than the two in which Mr. Cave succeeded 
 in catching the beautiful effects of ‘ The Afterglow ’ 
 — the short interval of radiance that in the tropics 
 precedes the fall of night.” 
 
 CEYLON TIMES. 
 
 “ Of all the works of pictorial art connected with 
 the island which it has been our good fortune to 
 inspect, we have never seen one which can in 
 any way compare with that now before us. As 
 Mr. Henry Cave states in his preface, the work is 
 intended to be a pictorial and not a literary effort, 
 though his matter — as aiding and enlivening the 
 illustrations — could hardly- be improved upon. The 
 author is known to us as an amateur artist and 
 photographer of great merit, and when recently in 
 the island he devoted a considerable portion of his 
 time to the study of local scenery and character, 
 and the result is to be seen in the beautiful work- 
 before us, published by Messrs. Sampson Low 
 and Co." 
 
 R 
 
KANDY AND PERADENIYA. 
 
 QLtst of 3llu0tration0. 
 
 —i 
 
 1 — 
 
 Kandy, from the Upper Lake Road. 
 Bamboos on the Mahawelliganga. 
 Kandy. 
 
 Upper Lake Road, Kandy. 
 
 Kitool Palm. 
 
 The Lake Roads of Kandy. 
 
 Kandy Lake. 
 
 The Royal Zenana. 
 
 Jinrickshaw Coolies Gambling. 
 
 One of the Temple Stud. 
 
 The Orient Sea. 
 
 Early Refreshment. 
 
 Bathing Pool at Kandy. 
 
 Kandy, from Lady Horton’s Walk. 
 Plantains. 
 
 Palms and Plantains. 
 
 The Matele Mountains. 
 
 The Young Talipot. 
 
 The Dumbara Valley. 
 
 Buddhist Temple, Kandy, 
 
 The Hon. T. B. Panabokka, Kandyan Chief. 
 Just Arrived for the Perahara. 
 
 Satinwood Bridge, Peradeniya. 
 
 Village Boutique. 
 
 Content with Nature’s Gifts. 
 
 Bread Fruit Tree. 
 
 The Village Goldsmith. 
 
 The Gram Vendor. 
 
 The Grass Cutter. 
 
 Peradeniya Gardens. 
 
 Bamboos at Peradeniya, 
 
 Screw Pine. 
 
 Coco de Mer. 
 
 j£ytract 0 from IReviews. 
 
 THE TIMES. 
 
 “In his new volume of ‘Picturesque Ceylon,’ 
 Kandy and Peradeniya, Mr. Cave invites us to the 
 loveliest scenes of the loveliest island in the world. 
 By universal consent, Ceylon makes the nearest ap- 
 proach to the earthly Paradise, though, after all, it 
 is a Paradise after the Fall, for there are scorpions 
 like well-grown cray fish and earthworms that may 
 be mistaken for serpents. Photogravure has done 
 its utmost to give a fair idea of a combination of 
 beauties that defy or elude the pencil or the brush. 
 We see the highland capital of the truculent old 
 despots, embowered in the forests and mirrored in 
 its lake. We see roads winding under archways of 
 almost impenetrable foliage, with a dim religious 
 light in the glare of the noonday sun-blaze. We 
 see steep forest paths in the first faint glimmerings 
 of dawn, with cascades like silvery veils falling into 
 invisible abysses. From commanding heights we 
 survey a wide expanse of landscape, skirted by the 
 mountain peaks that attract the mists and the 
 storm clouds. Again we get glimpses at the social 
 life, the religion and the superstitions. We see 
 the sleek sacred elephant from the temple stud, 
 the village artisans busy at their work, and the 
 Coolies, who are inveterate gamblers, taking their 
 favourite recreation in the shade. ’’ 
 
 THE FIELD. 
 
 “ This is a companion volume to 1 Colombo and 
 the Kelani Valley,’ by the same author, and is in all 
 respects quite equal to its predecessor. Mr. Cave 
 has shown great judgment in his selection of the 
 excellent illustrations which form a leading feature 
 in the book before us, and which, with its com- 
 panion volume, are undoubtedly the best pictorial 
 works on the subject of Ceylon that have ever been 
 published. The illustrations are thirty-three in 
 number, and among them are some beautiful views 
 of Kandy and the surrounding scenery; there are 
 others which truthfully depict the luxurious foliage 
 of this beautiful district, and scenes in the everyday 
 life of the people. But a few years ago it would 
 have been only possible to produce such a series 
 of plates as this book contains at an expense which 
 would have placed it beyond the reach of all save a 
 comparatively few ; but the development of photo- 
 graphic art, and the perfection to which the repro- 
 ductive processes have been brought, have enabled 
 the author not only to convey to his readers a 
 correct impression of this district, which he ad- 
 mirably describes in the letterpress, but also to 
 offer the handsome^ got up volume which contains 
 them at a price less than the photographs alone 
 would cost in this country. 
 
Extracts from Reviews of “Kandy and Peradeniya” -continual. 
 
 “Although the illustrations are doubtless intended 
 to be a principal feature in this book, the accom- 
 panying letterpress is worthy of special commenda- 
 tion. Mr. Cave commences with a well-written 
 general account of the history of Ceylon, in which 
 he wisely omits giving details of the horrible 
 atrocities which accompanied the Kandyan war 
 with Europeans. These he refers to only in general 
 terms, and then only to such an extent as will 
 assist his readers to understand from what a 
 condition this province has, almost within the 
 memory of man, developed into its present state of 
 peaceful prosperity. The Peradeniya Gardens, as 
 they deserve, are noticed at considerable length, 
 and a description is given, with illustrations, of 
 some of the most interesting trees and plants. 
 
 “The district which Mr. Cave so pleasantly de- 
 scribes is within a few hours’ railway journey of 
 Colombo, and is therefore well within reach of the 
 thousands of people who call at that port on their 
 voyage to Australia and other countries. To these, 
 and to travellers who have an opportunity of paying 
 a short visit to Ceylon, the information which Mr. 
 Cave gives would be of great service ; while to 
 those who are never likely to visit that beautiful 
 island, but perchance may have friends or relatives 
 there, the pleasantly written and beautifully illus- 
 trated descriptions which this book contains will be 
 welcome, and will make them familiar with the 
 scenery and geography of a country in which those 
 they care for have made their home.” 
 
 THE SPEAKER. 
 
 “ It is pleasant to read in these stormy and dark 
 days before Christmas about the glorious scenery 
 and climate of ‘Picturesque Ceylon,’ especially 
 when the clear and interesting narrative is accom- 
 panied by such remarkably fine and artistic photo- 
 graphs of ' Kandy and Peradeniya ’ as are given in 
 this handsome quarto volume. Mr. H. W. Cave’s 
 previous and companion volume dealt with Colombo 
 and the Kelani Valley, and his skill with the camera 
 attracted wide attention to the book. These pic- 
 tures of forest, river, mountain, and lake scenery 
 are most admirable examples of the poetic inter- 
 pretation of nature, and the descriptive letterpress 
 consists of pithy, well-informed notes on the history 
 of the island and on the manners and customs 
 of its inhabitants. The surpassing beauty of the 
 scenery of Ceylon is rendered obvious to everyone 
 by these full-page plates.” 
 
 DAILY NEWS. 
 
 “The descriptive chapters are sufficient for the 
 author's object, and the whole conveys a vivid im- 
 pression of the fertility and beauty of the great 
 island.” 
 
 SATURDAY REVIEW. 
 
 “ Mr. Cave’s ‘ Picturesque Ceylon,’ like the com- 
 panion volume with the same title which appeared 
 last year, is a handsome book, with illustrations 
 after excellent photographs by the author. ' The 
 most beautiful island in the world,’ as Mr. Cave 
 calls Ceylon, is revealed in some of its most 
 attractive scenes in the author's pictures of Kandy 
 and its neighbourhood. The Upper Lake Road 
 and the noble prospects it yields offer some beauti- 
 ful subjects for the camera. Palms, bamboos, 
 plantains, and other tropical forms of vegetation 
 
 have suggested some of Mr. Cave's most successful 
 illustrations. The descriptive chapters are well 
 written." 
 
 THE PLANTERS’ GAZETTE. 
 
 “ The author treats his subject-matter in such a 
 concise and business-like way that one feels instinc- 
 tively one is dealing with a man who knows what 
 he is talking about. We are inclined at times to 
 indulge in a feeling of regret that he does not give 
 us to a greater extent the advantages of that 
 experience which he undoubtedly possesses. We 
 cannot do better than recommend this book most 
 heartily to all who take an interest in the Island of 
 Ceylon, and we imagine there are few who have 
 been there who do not do so, and many who have 
 not been there who will be the more desirous of 
 paying the island an early visit after availing 
 themselves of the information to be gathered from 
 these pages.” 
 
 TIMES OF CEYLON. 
 
 “ To those who have seen Mr. Cave’s first volume 
 it is unnecessary to say more than that the second 
 is fully its equal, if indeed it does not surpass it. 
 The greatest skill has been shown by Mr. Cave in 
 the composition of his pictures, some of which are 
 more beautiful than any other reproductions of the 
 photographic art we have ever seen. Especially 
 noticeable is a picture of Bamboos on the Maha- 
 weliganga, which shows all the care of the true 
 artist and has a most pleasing effect." 
 
 OVERLAND MAIL. 
 
 “ The photographs, thirty-three inclusive, are 
 very fine and give an extraordinary sense of colour, 
 which is the test pay excellence of good work of 
 the kind. A plate of the Matele Mountains, with 
 the slender-stemmed trees in the foreground, the 
 distant hills, and the rich undergrowth, has particu- 
 larly this quality, and forms a lovely piece of 
 composition, displaying admirable powers of selec- 
 tion on Mr. Cave’s part. Equally so the dark palm 
 rising sky high, black against the moon-lit heavens 
 and low-tided sea. Lovers of tropical scenery 
 should not fail to procure this volume. The 
 pictures of the natives give an excellent idea of 
 the people ; some of the dark-skinned peasants look 
 out from the page with surprisingly gentle and 
 expressive countenances. Plate xii, is most in- 
 vitingly refreshing, and for this alone the book 
 is worthy of possession.” 
 
 CEYLON OBSERVER. 
 
 “ The second instalment of Mr. Cave’s splendidly 
 illustrated work will amply maintain the reputation 
 of its predecessor. ‘ Kandy and Peradeniya ’ have 
 never been so handsomely dealt with, and this 
 quarto volume in red Roxburgh binding, with its 
 thirty-three illustrations, is sure to bring our uniquely 
 beautiful Highland Capital and its surroundings 
 very widely under the notice of the British and 
 American public. There are three fewer illustra- 
 tions, but rather more letterpress, in this second 
 volume than in the first. Mr. Cave has dealt more 
 with past history than he did in the case of the low- 
 country. The exciting story of the capture of 
 Kandy, the tragedy of Major Davie and the 
 massacre of his men, and the brilliant march of 
 Captain Johnston from Batticaloa to Kandy and 
 
Extracts from Reviews of “Kandy and Peradeniya ” — -continued. 
 
 thence round to Trincomalee are fully given, 
 Mr. Cave reprinting from the thin little volume 
 which specially related the last-mentioned military 
 achievement. However, all this is well in place as 
 affecting Kandy; and there is no lack of description 
 both of scenery and vegetation to balance the 
 historical references. 
 
 " But whatever may be said of the letterpress in 
 commendation or in criticism, there can, we feel 
 sure, be but one opinion in unanimous and exu- 
 berant praise of the illustrations. They are selected 
 with much judgment and are delightfully executed 
 in, we should say, the first style of that branch of 
 art utilised by Mr. Cave. The frontispiece is a 
 charming view of 1 Kandy from Upper Lake Road.’ 
 Two of the most notable plates are ‘Bamboos on 
 the Mahaweliganga ’ — a marvellous and almost 
 weird picture in its dark shadows across the river 
 and under the forest, contrasted with the bright 
 fringe of the bamboos and of the nearer river side 
 — and secondly, ‘ The Matele Mountains ’ with a 
 truly Oriental foreground and wonderful cloud 
 effects. But each separate picture deserves a de- 
 scriptive paragraph to itself, and everyone who 
 can afford the volume should hasten to possess it." 
 
 CEYLON INDEPENDENT. 
 
 " If Mr. Henry W. Cave were ambitious to excel 
 his previous work, 1 Colombo and the Kelani Valley,’ 
 he could not have done better than choose Kandy 
 as his theme. To say that he has succeeded in 
 eclipsing his first attempt would be a bold state- 
 ment, but still we venture to think that the new 
 work, a copy of which we have just received, is 
 not one whit inferior to the one published last year, 
 and calculated to still further enhance the talented 
 artist-author’s reputation. It is, indeed, a work of 
 art, and no praise that we could bestow on it would 
 convey to our readers the beauty of the work. 
 Those, however, that have seen the first volume- 
 and their name is legion — can appreciate our 
 remarks, when we repeat that it is equal to it in 
 every respect, and that if improvement were possi- 
 ble, here they have it. The pictures are eloquent 
 in themselves, but their value is enhanced by the 
 very valuable descriptive letterpress which accom- 
 panies them. Mr. Cave has scored another distinct 
 triumph, and we say of this work as we said of its 
 predecessor, that it is the most praiseworthy attempt 
 to paint the lily we have ever seen. The pictures, 
 which are from photographs taken by Mr. Cave, 
 have been reproduced in a most perfect manner." 
 
 THE CEYLON EXAMINER. 
 
 " One of the handsomest contributions to Ceylon 
 literature, from the facile pen and unerring camera 
 of Mr. H. W. Cave. Like the first volume on 
 Colombo and the Kelani Valley, the work is got up 
 in what some might call an extravagant style; but, 
 in truth, in a style, to those with an eye for ele- 
 gance, at once chaste and serviceable. Printed on 
 the finest toned paper, in clean-cut type of legible 
 character, the letterpress is most pleasing to the 
 eye, and invites interest as soon as it is looked at ; 
 and closer examination into the subject matter 
 dealt with discloses information of a valuable, 
 
 useful, and entertaining description Where 
 
 all is so good it is difficult to select any scene 
 specially worthy of being praised above the others ; 
 but we can hardly refrain from giving our readers 
 
 [ one or two specimens of the author’s graphic 
 j descriptions of the scenes he has so wonderfully 
 | reproduced. The notes regarding the Talipot Palm 
 i are highly instructive, and give one a clear idea of 
 this handsome tree. Of it the writer says: — ‘This 
 majestic palm for about the first ten years grows 
 only magnificent fan-shaped leaves ; next a trunk 
 begins to form, which grows straight as a mast to a 
 height of about one hundred feet. It is a great 
 white stem encircled with closely set ring marks, 
 where it has borne and shed its leaves from year to 
 year. The semi-circular fans are often as large as 
 fifteen feet in radius, giving a surface of about one 
 hundred and fifty square feet. The uses to which 
 they are put are computed by the natives at eight 
 hundred and one, the foremost of these being rain- 
 cloak and sunshade. Three or four of these leaves 
 form an admirable tent, and are often used as such. 
 The literary use to which they have for thousands 
 of years been applied is perhaps the most interest- 
 ing. For this they are cut into strips, and after- 
 wards boiled and dried, when they form what the 
 natives term ola, or paper. On strips of ola the 
 history and the religious codes of the people have 
 been handed down to us. I have seen manuscripts 
 of this description more than two thousand years 
 old, and yet in beautiful condition, with the Pali 
 characters so clear and distinct that it is difficult to 
 realise their vast age. When the Talipot attains 
 full maturity, it grows somewhat smaller leaves, 
 and develops a gigantic bud some four feet in 
 height. This huge bud forms only once about the 
 fiftieth year. In due course it bursts with a report, 
 and a lovely white blossom unfolds itself, and 
 I spreads into a majestic pyramid of cream coloured 
 j flowers which rise to a height of twenty feet above 
 the leafy crown. The fruit which follows on this 
 magnificent blossoming consists of innumerable 
 nuts, which, however are useless. Their appear- 
 ance is a sign that the noble tree is near its end. 
 It now begins to droop, its magnificent leaves 
 wither, and within a year it falls dead.’ 
 
 “ There are numerous other passages in the vol- 
 ume worth quoting, but we feel we have extracted 
 sufficient to show how pleasant and profitable a 
 1 perusal of the letterpress and a study of the illus- 
 trations must prove. The elegant binding and 
 artistic finish of the book from cover to cover and 
 its handy size leave nothing to be desired, and we 
 can name scarcely anything more suitable as a 
 souvenir of friendship, either to those out of 
 Ceylon or in the island, than this beautiful work. 
 It should also take prominent place in every library- 
 in the country, and will certainly be a valuable 
 addition to any collection of works relating to the 
 island." 
 
 LONDON LETTER TO THE 
 CEYLON TIMES. 
 
 " I have never looked upon any view of the 
 Kandy Lake so charmingly rendered as is Mr 
 Cave’s masterly production by this new process, 
 than which nothing can be conceived more perfect. 
 
 ... Here one sees not only the charming effect 
 of perspective, of light and shade, and of delicacy 
 . of outline, but on looking into the different pictures 
 j with a magnifying glass the beholder may well feel 
 surprised at the astonishing reproduction of the 
 most minute lines and forms, such as I have never 
 seen in any previous photographs.” 
 
NUWARA ELIYA AND ADAM’S PEAK. 
 
 Xtet of 
 
 Jungle in Nuwara Eliya. 
 
 Waterfall at Nuwara Eliya. 
 
 Entrance to Nuwara Eliya from Rambodde 
 Pass. 
 
 The Mud-caressing Buffalo. 
 
 The Nanu-Oya Meandering through the 
 Forest. 
 
 Rest by the Way. 
 
 In the Pass between Nanu-Oya and Nuwara 
 Eliya. 
 
 Companions of the Bath. 
 
 Road to Nanu-Oya. 
 
 Nuwara Eliya. 
 
 PlDURUTALLAGALLA FROM ONE Tree HlLL. 
 
 ITakgalla from One Tree Hill. 
 
 The Lizard and the Lily. 
 
 Tree Ferns at Hakgalla. 
 
 A Sheltered Creek at Hakgalla. 
 
 Above the Clouds before Sunrise. 
 
 3Uu0tratione. 
 
 Adam's Peak from Pidurutallagalla. 
 Nuwara Eliya from Pidurutallagalla. 
 Keena Tree. 
 
 Nuwara Eliya from Naseby. 
 
 Ivina Cottage. 
 
 The Moon Plains. 
 
 Eventide. 
 
 Forest and Patanas from Pattipola, 
 
 A Forest Dell. 
 
 Porkie. 
 
 Trophies. 
 
 Through Forest and Fern. 
 
 Adam’s Peak from Oosamalle. 
 
 The Shadow of the Peak. 
 
 Ivintyre, Maskeliya. 
 
 Plucking Tea. 
 
 Ramasamy’s Children. 
 
 A Gang of Pluckers. 
 
 Extracts from 
 
 THE TIMES. 
 
 " The third volume of Mr. Cave's ‘ Picturesque 
 Ceylon ’ is to the full as fascinating as its pre- 
 decessors. But now we leave the stifling atmo- I 
 sphere and tropical luxuriance of the plains for the } 
 fresh breezes and broad views of the health-giving [ 
 
 highlands of Nuwara Eliya We see the ! 
 
 waterfalls in deep clefts among the rocks, where 
 the hunted stag turning fiercely to bay made wild j 
 work with the foremost of Baker’s pack. We see j 
 the streams he had to ford as best he could, foaming 
 and tumbling down natural staircases. We see the 
 dense thickets of thorn and matted creepers through 
 which he forced his way, and again breasting the 
 heights we get distant views of Adam's Peak and 
 other less-known summits. But the variety of Mr. 
 Cave’s admirable photographs is inexhaustible. . . . 
 There are studies of lilies of the field, with lizards 
 disporting themselves in the petals, and of the 
 prickly porcupine that is the terror of dogs. But 
 were we to single out the most artistic of the 
 photographs we should unhesitatingly select the 
 Shadow of Adam's Peak, falling faintly in the sun- | 
 rise across the lower ranges.” 
 
 IRevnewa. 
 
 TT 1 - 5 -* 
 
 THE OVERLAND MAIL, 
 
 “ The first two volumes of ‘ Picturesque Ceylon ’ 
 have already won well-merited admiration of Mr 
 Henry W. Cave’s genius in photographic art, and 
 high as is the praise we have accorded to them, the 
 third volume more than maintains the interest and 
 beauty of the series. It displays all those character- 
 istics of artistic feeling, happy selection, and clever 
 appreciation of atmospheric and aesthetic effect 
 which distinguished the previous volumes. It is 
 impossible to open this book without lighting on 
 some delightful impression of lovely scenery or 
 picturesque detail. Take the ‘ Sheltered Creek ’ 
 at Hakgalla, a charming composition of tropical 
 foliage and water, with a hump of hill in the dis- 
 tant background ; or the exquisite vignette en- 
 titled ‘ The Lizard and the Lily ’ ; or the fine 
 cloud study in Plate x, the plain of Nuwara 
 Eliya ; or the very beautiful scene in the pass be- 
 tween Nanu-Oya and Nuwara Eliya. Any pro- 
 vince of the Empire is fortunate to have its grand 
 and picturesque characteristics recorded by such 
 a sympathetic and clever master of his craft as 
 Mr. Cave.” 
 
Extracts from Reviews of “ Nuwara Eliya and Adam’s Peak” — continued. 
 
 THE GENTLEWOMAN. 
 
 “ Some of the loveliest scenes in the most fertile 
 and beautiful island in the world are presented in 
 its pages, and for vividness and picturesqueness 
 stand certainly unrivalled in contemporary art. 
 Never before has Ceylon been so satisfactorily 
 exploited. Mr. Cave’s monochromes are full of 
 the atmosphere which always characterises good 
 photographs. Some of his beautiful views have 
 caught ' dawn ’ in the act, as it were, of breaking 
 in upon the dim, softly outlined world of mountain j 
 and valley and forest. One can almost see the j 
 light increasing momentarily. In others the warm 
 glow of evening is over the still waters and the | 
 silent hills. Busy scenes of labour and recreation 
 there are too, picturesque gatherings of native 
 girls plucking tea, with their great baskets slung at 
 
 their backs Excellent as the illustrations 
 
 are, however, the letterpress which accompanies 
 them is not less worthy of mention. It is both 
 shrewd and observant. . . . Pictorial rather than 
 literary effect has been Mr. Cave’s aim, of course, 
 in this artistic work, but his style is so crisp and 
 he has so thoroughly mastered his subject, that the 
 interest is in reality very fairly divided between pen 
 and camera. The volume is immensely suggestive, 
 and throughout we catch glimpses of quaint customs 
 and strange superstitions, of character and types, 
 and, most interesting of all, we are able to appre- 
 ciate something of the life led by Europeans in this ! 
 tropical paradise.” 
 
 DAILY TELEGRAPH. 
 
 "A third volume has appeared of ‘Picturesque j 
 Ceylon,’ by Henry W. Cave, M.A. Like the pre- 
 ceding issues, it exhibits in a series of pictures, each 
 of which is a thing of beauty, the exquisite loveli- 
 ness of the island where ' every prospect pleases.’ ” ! 
 
 PALL MALL GAZETTE. 
 
 “The book is most beautifully illustrated by some i 
 photogravure process which gives the appearance 
 of a steel engraving of the finest quality. Some of 
 the pictures in the present volume, notably that of 
 the shadow of Adam’s Peak, are of extraordinary 
 merit. The accompanying letterpress is always i 
 interesting and readable.” 
 
 BLACK AND WHITE. 
 
 “It is charmingly written and charmingly il- 
 lustrated ; and is, indeed, the best work on the 
 subject.” 
 
 THE CEYLON OBSERVER. 
 
 “ The third volume of Mr. H. W. Cave’s hand- 
 some and widely appreciated series — 1 Picturesque 
 Ceylon’ — now lies before us. It is in our estima- 
 tion superior to its predecessors in interest and 
 attractiveness, both as regards the plates and the 
 letterpress. All is admirably selected, arranged, 
 and described. Of the plates there are thirty-four, 
 every one a work of art, while not a few stand out 
 as exquisite delineations of our choicest mountain 
 scenes in river, waterfall, lake, jungle, tree-ferns, 
 hill passes, gardens, &c. It may be that residents 
 in the low-country of Ceylon — naturally satiated 
 with the superabundant as well as varied vegetation 
 always around them, with sunsets and sea scapes 
 and landward outlooks which drive visitors to 
 superlatives in their admiration — are apt to unduly 
 appraise the beauties of the hill-country which 
 
 they prize so greatly for its climate and as a place 
 of holiday resort and enjoyment. But the author 
 himself leans to the same side ; for he opens his 
 third volume in his introductory chapter as fol- 
 lows : — * There is probably no other place in the 
 world that possesses such a remarkable combination 
 of attractions as Nuwara Eliya and its surrounding 
 districts.’ We shall be very curious to see how the 
 London Times critic deals with the present vol- 
 ume; because, in treating of the second instalment, 
 'Kandy and Peradeniya,’ he wrote: — ‘Mr. Cave 
 here invites us to the loveliest scenes of the loveliest 
 island in the world.' We have always said that it 
 would be hard to beat our central capital for its 
 combination of scenic attractions, and as indeed a 
 uniquely beautiful tropical Highland town. But in 
 the Kandy or any other collection of views there 
 can be nothing more lovely than the frontispiece 
 entitled ‘Jungle in Nuwara Eliya’; while in the 
 combination of waterfall, river, and jungle there 
 are some other pictures in the present volume 
 which necessarily can have no parallel in and 
 around Kandy. By the planting community espe- 
 cially, a series of plates devoted to the country be- 
 tween Adam’s Peak and Nuwara Eliya, with two or 
 three pictures, by way of contrast, of scenes lower 
 down in the Gampola region, must necessarily be 
 regarded as the most interesting yet published ; and 
 we cannot help thinking a second edition will be 
 required of the third volume before any of its 
 predecessors, although we learn that the first 
 volume is nearly sold out. Of Nuwara Eliya and its 
 neighbourhood the list of representations is a very 
 complete as well as a diversified one ; and one 
 of the most successful as well as interesting, to 
 strangers especially, is that taken ' in the Pass 
 between Nanu-Oya and Nuwara Eliya,’ showing 
 the sweep of forest-clad mountain to the very ridge 
 on the one side of the road, and on the other is 
 given the river in a series of cataracts and the little 
 foot-bridge with its iron supports above the black- 
 pool ; while the winding road is dotted with bul- 
 locks, wending their way upwards. Scrubs Tea 
 Estate and Naseby are distinguished by special 
 views and references ; and Pedro and Hakgalla 
 Gardens are of course not forgotten. ' A Sheltered 
 Creek at Hakgalla ’ is one of the daintiest of artistic 
 reproductions we have ever seen, with its shimmer 
 of water in the foreground, ferny, lily, and feathery 
 vegetation filling up the picture, with just a peep of 
 mountain-top and sky to complete the beholder's 
 satisfaction. By way of contrast, we may take 
 ‘ Above the Clouds before Sunrise,’ a weird and yet 
 most striking picture, with a foreground which 
 might stand for the meeting place of Macbeth and 
 the Cawdor witches, but with mountain ranges 
 broken by many lakes of cloud stretching away to 
 the horizon, such as can only be seen in the tropics. 
 The Moon Plains and Lake Gregory have justice 
 done to them, and a very striking effect is got in 
 'Eventide near the Blackpool, Nuwara Eliya,’ 
 showing the Ladies’ Waterfall with continuous 
 cataracts, patana, jungle, and visitors. Nor are 
 the Horton Plains, World’s End, and the view of 
 forests and patanas at Pattipola to be overlooked, 
 
 before we turn to the Adam’s Peak division 
 
 We have several characteristic plates, including a 
 wonderful one of ‘The Shadow,’ with cloud effects 
 such as would have delighted the painter Turner, 
 and still more (with several of Nuwara Eliya) his 
 admirer yet to the fore, John Ruskin. Kintyre, 
 
Extracts from Reviews of “ Nuwara Eliya and Adam’s Peak” — continued. 
 
 Maskeliya, at a bend of the river, is the subject 
 of a very good picture. Finally there are two or 
 three plates and chapters devoted to Ceylon tea, to 
 Cooly pluckers and their children, and a big gang 
 in the field, with Adam's Peak as a background — 
 almost the best view given of the cobra-headed, 
 sacred mountain. 
 
 “As a specimen of the author’s descriptive 
 powers we cannot do better than quote the lines 
 appljdng to ‘Jungle in Nuwara Eliya’: — 
 
 “ ‘ The music of the distant waterfall, descending 
 from the mountain summit ; the chirping of thou- 
 sands of tiny birds of bright plumage, as they 
 flutter from twig to twig in search of seeds ; the 
 rustling of the undergrowth, as the gay lizards 
 dart upon their prey, while others sit within the 
 fragrant spathes of the arum lily ; the lofty tree 
 ferns, with their lovely plumes rising gracefully 
 above the flowering shrubs — all these contribute 
 to an effect which no words or pictures can 
 describe.’ 
 
 “Altogether we may confidently say that the 
 third volume of Mr. Cave’s ‘Picturesque Ceylon’ j 
 more than maintains the reputation of its prede- 
 cessors, while in some of its plates and descriptive | 
 passages it excels any that have hitherto appeared.’’ I 
 
 THE CEYLON EXAMINER. 
 
 “ In reviewing the third volume of 1 Picturesque j 
 Ceylon ’ we can only — as regards the letterpress, | 
 the photographic illustrations, the binding, and the 
 general get up of the work — repeat the remarks we | 
 made on the first and second volumes. In all these J 
 respects the book needs no higher praise than the ! 
 statement that it is well worthy of its predecessors. 
 We might, however, say that the photographs in the 
 volume before us are specially excellent ; some of 
 them are wonderfully realistic. . . . All the views 
 are executed in the most finished style and give a 
 vivid idea of the beautiful country depicted, whilst 
 the descriptive part of the book not only explains 
 the pictures and brings them home to the reader, 
 but adds to their value by putting him in possession 
 of many a detail of independent interest. The 
 author is an enthusiastic admirer of Nuwara Eliya, 
 and is loud in praise of the district, declaring it 
 to be equal ‘ to Egypt in its healing climate, the 
 Engadine in its lovely scenery, Brazil in its wooded 
 wilderness, the Alps in their flowery meadows, and 
 Peru in its high plateaus.’ He speaks of the place 
 as a true sanatorium for faded energies and wasted 
 constitutions, and gives chapter and verse for his 
 statements regarding its recuperative powers on 
 Europeans, who can by a sojourn therein gain all 
 the advantages of a visit to England at a cost 
 considerably lower. This indeed is a fact widely 
 acknowledged ; and every year sees a larger number 
 of visitors at the mountain station both from the 
 low country of Ceylon and from more distant India, 
 who fully appreciate the benefits procurable in our 
 hill country. In his interesting notes Mr. Cave 
 takes us first from Gampola to Pussellawa, of whose 
 beauties he writes thus admiringly : — 
 
 “ ‘The sensation of enchanting peace, and the 
 pure and invigorating atmosphere which is so 
 noticeable upon arriving at Pussellawa after a walk 
 from the heated plains, once experienced will never 
 be forgotten. Eight miles below, by the winding 
 
 road, lies Gampola in almost insufferable heat, yet 
 here one may rest beneath the shade of orange 
 trees, laden with their golden fruit, and breathe 
 such pure cool air as only those who have been for 
 months in the enervating heat of the lowlands can 
 fully appreciate. When looking down upon the 
 simmering haze which enshrouds the lower valleys, 
 and glancing back at the cool blue shadows of the 
 surrounding hills, fresh life creeps through the 
 veins, and a feeling of supreme delight enthrals 
 every sense. Here the gardens combine the charac- 
 teristics of England and the Tropics. Bright 
 with lilacs, pinks, convolvuli, passion flowers, and 
 crotons of every fantastic admixture of colour, 
 they are no less gay with butterflies and birds of 
 brightest plumage, while delicious fruits are plenti- 
 ful around.' 
 
 “ From Pussellawa he carries us on to Rambodde. 
 Then follows a most artistic sketch of the Rambodde 
 Pass as seen by moonlight — in the following beauti- 
 ful language : — 
 
 “ ‘The moon, thrice as brilliant as in northern 
 Europe, yet having a slight tinge of gold that gives 
 a softness to her rays ; the air, pure and cool, 
 perfumed with the sweet fragrance of lemon grass ; 
 all nature silent, save the mighty tones of distant 
 cataracts, and the music of mountain streams ; tree 
 ferns, wonderful in beauty and variety, exhibiting 
 every curve and pattern of their lovely fronds that 
 fringe the silvery torrents which leap on both sides 
 into the valley ; the weird shadows of the dark 
 rocks on the opposing slopes ; the grand flow of 
 outline along the ridges, centred in the distance by 
 a lofty double cone — these are some of the features 
 of a moonlight scene in the Pass of Rambodde.' 
 
 “ ‘The entrance to Nuwara Eliya from the Ram- 
 bodde Pass,' is the next view that fascinates the 
 traveller along this route, and it is most faithfully 
 represented in Plate iii. We are then conducted to 
 the Hill Sanatorium by the new route, and the 
 author’s felicitous account of the country through 
 which the railway line passes till it reaches Nanu 
 Oya Station is full of interesting details. ‘ The 
 Nanu Oya stream meandering through the forest’ 
 is another beautiful photograph, while a splendid 
 bit of country is seen ‘In the Pass between Nanu 
 Oya and Nuwara Eliya.' Other charming plates 
 are Nos. ix, x, xi, xvi, xviii, and xix, all representing 
 the town of Nuwara Eliya as seen from various 
 points and from Pidurutallagalla Mountain. In 
 praise of the climate, scenery, and comforts of 
 Nuwara Eliya Mr. Cave is backed up by no less 
 a celebrity than Mr. Clement Scott. 
 
 “ Of the beautiful vegetation to be met with at 
 the Government Gardens at Hakgalla, with its 
 abundance of lovely plants and flowers, we are fully 
 apprised both by pen and camera, and ‘ The Lizard 
 and the Lily,' ‘Tree Ferns at Hakgalla,’ and ‘A 
 Sheltered Creek at Hakgalla,' give us a fair im- 
 pression of these glories. One particularly impres- 
 sive illustration is ‘ The Shadow of the Peak ’ whose 
 solemn beauty has been most happily fixed by the 
 artist. Of the difficulty of getting a good view of 
 this natural phenomenon we can form some con- 
 ception from the following : — 
 
 '“Then came the moments of suspense. Would 
 the atmospheric conditions, without which the 
 shadow is impossible, present themselves ? The 
 first faint beams revealed the fleecy shroud of mist 
 
Extracts from Reviews of “ Nuwara Eliya and Adam’s Peak” — continued. 
 
 covering the world below, and, as clearer grew the 
 welling light, up rose the mighty shadow. Like a 
 distant pyramid it stood for many seconds ; then 
 nearer and nearer, ever increasing in size and 
 distinctness as the rays of light broadened over the 
 horizon, it advanced towards us like a veil, through 
 which the distant mountain forests and plains were 
 distinctly visible, till at length it seemed to merge j 
 in its mighty parent, and instantly vanished.’ 
 
 “ These volumes are far more than a mere series 
 of photographs with explanatory descriptions. They 
 prove that Mr. Cave possesses some of the higher 
 qualities of the true artist — qualities which, if ; 
 nature has denied them, galleries cannot teach nor 
 masters inspire. Most marked among these is the 
 rare gift of sympathy. This is abundantly ex- 
 emplified by the successful pictures (and the notes 
 that accompany them) of the every-day life pre- 
 sented at the scenes he has chosen to depict. Such 
 are ‘ The Mud-caressing Buffalo,' ' Rest by the 
 Way,’ ‘Companions of the Bath,’ ‘Plucking Tea,’ 
 'Ramasamy's Children,’ and ‘A Gang of Pluckers.’ 
 
 It is by means of this instinct of sympathetic 
 appreciation that, we make bold to say, Mr. Cave 
 has reached a level which, as far as the depicting 
 of Ceylon scenes and scenery goes, is so distinctly 
 and so honourably his own; it is this feature that, if 
 we mistake not, will give to his work an enduring 
 value and an interest ever fresh. 
 
 “The ‘Ascent of Adam's Peak,’ the sporting 
 notes scattered throughout, and the legendary lore 
 connected with each notable object and related in 
 a style of genuine simplicity and directness will 
 always afford reading of the most interesting and 
 profitable character in a book which charms the ; 
 reader from beginning to end. We await with 
 eagerness the issue of Mr. Cave's other work on 
 the same lines, and do not doubt that Anuradha- 1 
 pura will be as worthily treated as have been those j 
 parts of Ceylon dealt with in the beautiful volumes 
 we have been considering. An eminent critic has 
 observed upon the danger of praising a work too I 
 highly to the public. If it contains any beauties, j 
 said he, your reader will be displeased by your | 
 forestalling him in their discovery; if it has none, j 
 you will be requited with some portion of the 
 reproach due to the author. We are not in this J 
 dilemma. For the latter contingency is here | 
 plainly out of the question. And as to the former, 
 we have given the reader but a slight foretaste of 
 the pleasures that are in store for him, and as he 
 turns delighted from plate to plate and from page 
 to page he will surely find ample reason to feel that 
 the half had not been told him.’’ 
 
 THE CEYLON INDEPENDENT. 
 
 “ Mr. H. W. Cave has succeeded in bringing out 
 a masterly and artistic production in Vol. III. of 
 that beautiful series, ' Picturesque Ceylon.’ It is in 
 very truth an Mition de luxe, a Royal gift book, and 
 reflects the very greatest credit on its author-artist. 
 
 The series, indeed, is calculated to familiarise and 
 greatly popularise Ceylon with European travellers 
 and bring the island still more largely into request 
 amongst those in search of ideal hibernating quar- 
 ters Mr. Cave tells his narrative in a fascina- 
 
 ting manner. His diction is always polished, and 
 many of his descriptions gems of ‘ word-pictures.’ 
 After some beautiful views of cataracts and the 
 meandering Nanu Oya we come to absolutely the 
 ' gem ’ of the whole book — ‘ In the Pass between 
 Nanu Oya and Nuwara Eliya.’ . . . The views of 
 Nuwara Eliya and Adam’s Peak are evidently not 
 only the work of a skilled photographic artist but a 
 connoisseur in Ceylon scenery. After reading the 
 descriptions which Mr. Cave gives of Nuwara 
 Eliya one cannot help feeling that he has laid the 
 whole Colony under a debt of obligation by his 
 judicious recommendations. It would pay Govern- 
 ment to discriminately circulate this book in order 
 that the existence of this great Sanatorium of the 
 World might become more largely known than at 
 present.” 
 
 RICHMOND AND TWICKENHAM 
 TIMES. 
 
 “ Without qualification or reserve this is a beau- 
 tiful book, upon a gem of the ocean No one, 
 
 however prejudiced, can look at the scenery of the 
 Island of Ceylon produced in this book by the 
 agency of the camera without feeling and acknow- 
 ledging that the eye here and there rests upon the 
 truest expressions of the highest art — delicate, pure, 
 and accurate. Without the science of photography 
 it would be impossible to produce such a book as 
 this, at once pleasing and useful, and the usefulness 
 not being confined to conveying to the stay-at-home 
 the charms of this tropical paradise, but by its art 
 cultivating and increasing the taste for art in all 
 directions. This is a book, so far as the illustra- 
 tions go, in which the critic is thoroughly disarmed 
 on the score of finding fault, and in playing the 
 part of the superior person in giving advice. Where 
 all is good it seems a little invidious to mention the 
 excellences of anything in particular, but picture xiii, 
 called ' The Lizard and the Lily ’ is a little piece of 
 perfection — a thing of beauty and a joy for ever. 
 
 “Turning to the letterpress, we feel that we are 
 not in the hands of a globe-trotter, .... but in 
 the hands of one who has made Ceylon more or 
 less his home for the last twenty years, who has 
 watched its social and material improvements, who 
 has tested its climate, and who knows as familiarly 
 its byways as its highways, and who is still there 
 and in love with it 
 
 “ Mr. Cave knows how to write so as to be read, 
 a secret not known to every author.” 
 
 THE SPECTATOR. 
 
 “ We are glad to find Mr. Cave carrying on his 
 work. To say that this book is as worthy of its 
 subject as its predecessors is praise enough." 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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