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tinual waves of Tamil invasion from Southern India, which destroyed 
security of life and property so that the waterworks which were 
necessary to the existence and health of a teaming population fell into 
ruin. 
Many remains of the lost civilization exist in gigantic ‘ bunds” 
stone pillars, dagobas and other buildings now imbedded in jungle, 
among which is Sigari, in some respects different from any other of 
these relics of antiquity. From Kandy the latest Singhalese capital, 
the great North road runs to Jaffna passing through Matali 16 miles 
where the railway ends, and Dambool, 45 miles North of Kandy where 
there is a celebrated Buddhist Temple. Sigari lies about Io miles 
East of Dambool in a undulating country covered with thick jungle, 
and with small population. It isa granite rock with perpendicular 
or even overhanging sides some 500 feet in elevation, less than a mile 
in circumference, “round two sides of which an incomplete spiral 
groove gradually fmounting to the summit is formed by a peculiar 
gallery. 
To the South and South-East of the rock isa tank much reduced 
from its original dimensions and a poor insignificant village on its 
edge. Singhalese records assert that in A.D. 459, King Dhatu Sena, 
whose capital was Amuradhapura was assassinated by his son Kasyapa, 
being built alive into a bund of a water reservoir. Kasyapa seized the 
throne, and for his personal security changed his capital to Sigari, 
whereon he built a fortress, and there reigned 18 years. A brother of 
Kasyapa had escaped into Southern India and in A.D. 477 returned 
with a strong army and defeated his brother who committed suicide 
to avoid falling into his brother’s power. Amuradhapura again became 
the capital, and Sigari came into possession of Buddhist priests, but 
gradually fell into decay and until the last ten years was considered 
inaccessible. 
In March, 1896, Captain A. C. Burmester was travelling by road 
from Trincomali to Matali and found Mr. H. Bell, B.C.S., and the 
Archeological Survey of Ceylon at work on the Hill. The track 
from the road to Sigari was through thick jungle, and the ascent of the: 
hill commenced at 8 a.m. was not effected before noon. The fortress 
originally was surrounded by at least six lines of enormous walls built 
of large blocks of granite roughly squared laid without mortar, and 
generally with a considerable batter. Two converging staircases led 
