CEYLON. 



697 



Face of the 



itry. 



ountaiui. 



Roads. 



forces. In 1801, they again made preparations for a 

 ^eneial attack on our settlements; but thi was pre- 

 vented by an attack made by us on tlicir own Country, 

 which proved on every side successful. In February 

 '., they however ventured again to invade our ter- 

 rilonrs, but they were completely routed in every 

 quart' r. Sn- IViviv.il'.s .ttount of Ceylon ; Pennant's 

 /'/(// <>/' Il'/in'ostiin, vol. i. ; Cordiner's Description 

 <>/' ( 'fj/liiiit 2 vols. ; and Atiiulif Ilcgister, vol. vi. 



Fr"in the- preceding account, it appears that the 

 island of Ceylon is at present separated into two 

 grand divisions. It originally contained a number of 

 distinct petty kingdoms, but after the arrival of the 

 Portuguese, the whole interior of the country was re- 

 duced under the dominion of the king of Candy. 

 The other part of the island, which is now subject to 

 the British, includes the whole of the sea coast, and 

 completely encircles the Candian territories. In 

 some places it extends only about six miles, in others 

 thirty, and on the northern side of the island about 

 sixty miles into the interior. 



In approaching this island from the sea, it presents 

 a most delightful prospect to the eye. The level 

 districts on the coast appear bounded by beautiful 

 groves of cocoa nut trees, while the intermediate 

 plains are covered with rich fields of rice, and the 

 prospect usually terminates in woods, which cover the 

 sides of the mountains, and display a verdant foliage 

 during every season of the year. The interior of the 

 island abounds in steep and lofty hills, covered with 

 thick forests, and full of impenetrable jungles. The 

 woods and mountains completely surround the do- 

 minions of the king of Candy, and seem destined by 

 nature to defend him against those foreign enemies, 

 whose superior power and skill have deprived him of 

 the coasts. 



The highest and rudest tract is the kingdom of 

 Conde Uda ; and at the western bkirt of the district 

 soars Hamallel, or Adam's Peak, which rises above 

 all the other mountains in the form of a sugar loaf, 

 and is seen even at the distance of the sea. On the 

 summit of this mountain is a flat stone, with an im- 

 pression resembling a human foot, about twenty- four 

 inches in length, which is said by the Mahometans 

 to be that of our common progenitor ; but the Cey- 

 lonese consider it as the footstep of Buddhu, their 

 great deity, when he ascended into heaven. 



From this mountain, and the adjacent hills, the 

 principal rivers in the island take their rise. These 

 are, the Mahavellagauga, the Walluwy, the Culla- 

 gauga, and the Moohval. They are, in general, ra- 

 pid but smooth streams ; some of them are navigable 

 to a considerable distance up the country. There 

 are a variety of other rivers which rise from the hills 

 in different parts of the island, and though they are 

 not navigable, they might be rendered of great ad- 

 vantage in fertilizing the fields. 



The internal communications by land through the 

 island have scarcely passed the first stage of improve- 

 ment. Along the sea coast, indeed, there are roads 

 and stations for travellers ; but these in many places 

 are exceedingly steep and rugged. In the otherparts 

 of the country footpaths are sometimes discernible, 

 but never any broad beaten way regularly formed, 

 and bounded by walks or ditches. This want of 

 roads gives a striking peculiarity to the aspect of the 

 country, which cannot easily be represented to the 



VOL. V. PAIIT U. 



mind of a person who has never travelled over a wild Ceylon, 

 and woody region. *-" 



In general, the climate of Ceylon it much more Climate, 

 temperate than that of India. From Chilauw south- 

 ward, to Tensile on the western coast, the air is 

 salubrious and delightful. The medium heat of the 

 thermometer; according to Mr Cordiner, is about 81, 

 and in the most sultry weather it seldom exceed* 86 

 in the shade. In the other parts of the coat>t where the 

 soil is arid and dry, it often indeed rics considerably 

 higher. In general, the heat during the day is near- 

 ly the same throughout the whole yrar ; but the va- 

 riation of temperature between the day and the night 

 is often remarkably great, the thermometer sometimes 

 ranging, in the course, of nine hours, from 69 to 

 9<) . The temperate climate of the coast, is doubt- 

 less owing, in a considerable degree, to the regular 

 breezes which prevail for a certain number of hours 

 every day. The sea breeze usually sets in about 

 eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and continues to blow 

 till near six in the evening : the land breeze commen- 

 ces about seven, prevails during the night, and gra- 

 dually dies away towards eight in the morning. lu 

 the interior, where the influence of these breezes is 

 not felt, in consequence of the thick and close woods, 

 and the hills which crowd upon each other, the heat 

 is many degrees greater than upon the coast, and the 

 climate often extremely sultry and unhealthy. This 

 inconvenience, however, might be in a great degree 

 obviated, by cutting down the woods, and clearing 

 the jungles, which at present impede the circulation 

 of the cooling breeze. 



The lofty range of mountains which runs through Monsoont. 

 the kingdom of Candy, divides the island nearly into 

 two equal parts, and so completely separates them 

 from each other", that the seasons on either side are, 

 totally different. These mountains terminate com- 

 pletely the effect of the monsoons, which set in 

 periodically from the opposite sides of the island, so 

 that not only the opposite sea coasts, but the whole 

 country in the interior, suffers very little from these 

 storms. Accordingly, whilst torrents of rain descend 

 on the south and west sides, the north and east expe- 

 rience an unclouded sky, with all the fervid heat of 

 the torrid zone; and when the latter areob>cured, the 

 former are again enlivened with uninterrupted sun- 

 shine. Indeed it has sometimes been a constant 

 drought on one side of these mountains for several 

 years together, while the other has been deluged with 

 perpetual rains. The monsoons in O-ylon are con- 

 nected with those on the Coromandel and Malabar 

 coasts, and correspond very nearly with them ; but 

 they set in much sooner on the western than the east- 

 ern side of the island. On the west side, the rains 

 prevail in the months of May, June, and July, the 

 season when they are felt on the Malabar coast. Thi* 

 monsoon is usually far more violent than the other, 

 being accompanied with dreadful storms of thunder 

 and lightning, together with vast torrents of rain, 

 and violent south-west winds. During its continuance, - 

 the variations of the climate are particularly remark - 

 ' able. The torrents of rain which fall chiefly during 

 the night, render the atmosphere at that time extreme- 

 ly chill and damp, while the excessive heat of the sun 

 by day is almost insupportable. In consequence of 

 the sudden transition from a warm clear d ;\ to a cold 

 and wet night, the climate is more unhealthy at thia. 

 4 T 



