DAifBOUL. 183 



ing ft'om Adam's peak northward. 3Iy road, however, 

 ran alon^ their base, thus avoidmg much feitigiie, 

 but, on the other hand, suffering very severely from 

 the superabundance of water. 



By the evening of the first day I got as feLr as 

 Mjj tale, only sixteen miles from Kandy, now reached by 

 railway ; here I passed the night, and on the following 

 day I managed somewhat better by making twenty-nine 

 miles, reaching Damboul late in the evening. Some eight 

 centuries ago this had been the capital of the Singha- 

 lese, but long before that it had been a very important 

 town, and its famous cave-temple, which is said to 

 be nearly 2,000 years old, seems to prove as much. 

 The entrance to the latter confirms the great skill 

 employed upon religious monuments at that early 

 period- Its porch is flanked by two massive pLUars 

 oi' ixli :.'/■:'. Done simplicity and of excellent proportions, 

 and is surrounded by some good carving in the solid 

 rock, representing figures of Buddtia, with two large 

 statues, one on each side in a recess ; of these latter^ 

 however, little remains. This entrance led into the 

 temple where a platform had once supported the 

 sitting figure of Buddha. The present Yihara, or 

 monastery, which is attached to all Buddhist temples, 

 is of a much more recent date and built of brick ^ 

 covered with cement. 



