Chap. 1.] 



THE ROUND HOUSE AT TOPARE. 



58J 



" this engraved stone is the one which the strong men 

 of the King Nissanga brouglit from the mountain of 

 IVIihintaLa at Anarajapoora," a distance of more than 

 eighty miles. ^ The edges of the slab are richly carved 

 with ornamental borders representing rows of the hanza, 

 the sacred goose of the Buddhists. 



A fiuther circumstance which seems to fix the posi- 

 tion of the palace of Prakrama at this spot is, that in 

 connection with it the king is said, in the Mahawanso, 

 to have built many "outer halls made of stone of an 

 oval form, with large and small gates, ghttering walls 

 and staircases," ^ and close by the Sat-mahal-prasada 

 there is a biulding which corresponds with this de- 

 scription. 



THE ROUND HOUSE AT TOPARh 



This curious edifice, which stands on a terrace 

 and appears to have been hypa^thral, is approached on 

 four sides by staircases and gates. The walls are about 



' A translation of the entire of this I given in the Appendix to Tikxoi'k's 

 remarkable inscription, which was en- Epitome, p. 94. 

 sraved about the year 1106 A. p., is ' * 3Iahmranso, ch. Iwii. 



