598 THE RUINED CITIES. [Paet X. 



Jayta-waiia-rama is likely to have escaped observation, 

 but the natives declare that the forest abounds with 

 other monuments ; and one offered to conduct liie to a 

 fort a few miles distant, with a statue of a king on the 

 rampart. Of the domestic edifices and the houses of the 

 people, not a vestige remains, except a few wells, and 

 some baths fed by conduits from the lake. 



We rode back to the village of Oodoovelh by the 

 gi'ass-grown street of the ancient capital, the same 

 along which the Singhalese chroniclers relate that the 

 Great Praki'ama, " arraying himself ^\dth royal apparel, 

 and mounted on an elephant, with a golden umbrella 

 over his head," passed in the pomp of his mihtary 

 triumphs to return thanks for his \ictories at the shrine 

 of the dalada.^ 



Close by the great tamarind tree, under which oin- 

 tents were pitched, was a tope of coco-nut palms, that 

 proved to be the resort of an innumerable colony of 

 plumb-headed paroquets.^ Our arrival having taken 

 place in the forenoon, whilst the bu'ds were all away, 

 we were not at first aware of their habits ; but about 

 sunset as we were preparing for cUnner, they began to 

 come back in great numbers, chattering, screaming, and 

 romping vnth. delight, as they reunited after their day's 

 excursion. Every minute the din increased as the 

 stragglers came in, till at length their noise faii'ly 

 drowned om' voices in the tents. By degrees the 

 racket subsided, and as soon as it was dark the whole 

 multitude sank into silence and repose. But at dawning 

 a similar scene was re-enacted, one sleepless individual 

 awoke its mate and commenced a rapid patter of fehci- 

 tations, another and another succeeded, until the whole 

 tribe were in excitement, moving along the fronds of 

 the palms, shaldng the dew from tliek plumage, bowing, 

 clamouring, coquetting, and preening then' feathers. 



3Iahmcanso, ch. Ixxiii. * Pal<eoniis Akxandri, Liiin. 



