SINHALESE EARTHENWARE. q 
but taper slightly upwards, where a projection on the under side 
serves to keep them from slipping off the reepers. Other flat tiles 
- are pointed at the lower end, and very beautiful roofs are often seen 
in which the pointed and square ended tiles are arranged on patterns 
or in alternate rows, giving great variety. Tile hangers are very 
clever in covering all sorts of awkward angles and steep slopes, and 
good old Kandyan roofs are consequently very picturesque, an effect 
which is greatly enhanced by the change of slope which is usually 
found and which corresponds to a structural feature of the timbering. 
We sometimes, but not very often, meet with especial bent coping 
tiles of a corresponding type. Flat tiles of the above types are usu- 
ally ornamented with very simple parallel incised lines ; these seem 
to be a survival of the much deeper grooves which are to be seen on 
the old tiles so common at Sigiriya and Anuradhapura; the 
grooves were doubtless originally intended to facilitate the flow of 
rain water, but the simple incised lines found on Kandyan tiles are 
of no practical use for this purpose, and merely serve as an ornament, 
though not altogether a meaningless one, as the above remarks show. 
In Text fig. II. will be found illustrations of the tiles referred to 
The roofing tiles most commonly seen nowadays however are 
semi-cylindrical in form, tapering slightly upwards. They are often 
associated with flat tiles on the same roof, and are generally used 
also for ridge or coping tiles. These semi-cylindrical tiles are less 
characteristic than the flat ones, but nevertheless quite pleasing 
and satisfactory. When used four or five thick they are a very 
efficient protection against heat, owing to the layers of air which 
occupy the spaces between the tiles ; they are generally so used in 
the northern districts. The new-fashioned Basel Mission and Man- 
galore tiles are perhaps slightly more convenient, especially in res- 
pect of leakage, but of course far less cool ; in addition to which 
their rigid form and mechanical effect are distinctly unpleasant. | 
Instead of the slight curves and irregularities of a roof covered with 
ordinary tiles, we see what is practically a plane surface crossed by 
strictly parallel lines which are wearisome and uninteresting. The 
ordinary tiles if well burnt and well laid are much to be preferred 
in respect of appearance and comfort; though requiring slightly 
more attention, for in the services due to temples we see regular 
provision made for the annual shifting of tiles. 
A special variety of tile is the eaves or hanging tile, used on 
déwala and viharé roofs to fringe the eaves (see Text fig. III.). These 
tiles have a plain flat upper portion which passes under the last row 
of tiles at the edge of the roof, and is inclined at an angle of about 
110-120° to the visible down-hanging part of the tile which forms 
og 10(2)06 
