\VEST AND SOyXH COASTS OF CEYLON. 44I 



gure occupying. the reft of the ftone is fcooped out to 

 the depth of two feet. It is probable this well was in- 

 clofed within fome of the buildings now no longer ex- 

 ifting; its ufe does nioi appear; the crofs ftone was too 

 heavy to be eafily moved, and occupies too much room 

 to admit of water being drawn from it for any common 

 ufe; the figures carved on k indicate fome connexion 

 with the Lingam and Phallus ; and may furnifh a key 

 tQ the object of worfliip here. 



On narrowly examining thefe remains, little doubt 

 remained in my mind that this was the fite of an ancient 

 Hindu temple, jon the ruins of which the Cingalefe build- 

 ing was raifed at a much later period. The revolu- 

 tions of religion, in which the firft was overturned and 

 almoft every veitige of its worftiip deftroyed, to make 

 room for the other, would, probably, be explained by 

 the Cingalefe hiftory, an abitraft of which is publifhed 

 in Valentin's book, under the article Ceylon, 



The name of the place Di-vi-n-oor-Dewalla, favours 

 the opinion, and when we recolle6l the partiality of the 

 Hindus to build their religious ftruftures in places near 

 the fea, to water, to the fpring heads of rivers on the 

 tQp§ ,of remarkable hills, and mountains and fituations 

 favourable to retirement from the world, and to purer 

 gbliitions, according to their ideas; in places to which 

 the extraordinary length and toil of the journey attached 

 a fuperior degree of merit; as inftanced in the pilgrim- 

 ages to yagarnat and Ratnifur ; to the wilds of PurwuU 

 turn; to Tripetty ; to the fources of the Godaveyy at Trim' 

 buck Najfer, and of the Ki/ina at Balifur ; we need not 

 be furprifed to find a fane of Mahadeo reared on the 

 utmoft bounds of Lankadeep, and their habitable world; 

 and (hall be ready to fuppofe that the ablutions at the 

 furtheft point of Ramijur became the greateft extent 

 ©f their pilgrimages only, when revolutions, of which 

 ve have yet no diftinB; accounts, and the introduBion 



of 



