1847.] formerly the capital of Ceylon. 225 



dagobahs, on an elevated platform, paved with granite slabs, and imme- 

 diately in front of it stands a stone altar about five feet high, which 

 there can be little doubt was intended for the reception of the offerings 

 of the faithful. The Lankaramaya stands between the Thupharamaya 

 and the Jaitawanaramaya, a little to the eastward of both — the ruins of 

 a priest's residence are in its immediate vicinity, but of a character so 

 common as not to need any particular remarks. 



Other dagobahs there are in the vicinity of Anuradhapura, but great- 

 ly inferior in size to those which I have endeavoured to describe. The 

 Mirisiwellia, the Sailya Chaitya and the Ellala Dagobah, with many 

 others of less note, are but shapeless heaps of ruins overgrown with 

 jungle, with but a few pillars, or carved stones to mark their former 

 importance. As I have said before, one of the most extraordinary 

 characteristics of the ruins of the city is the immense number of stone 

 pillars, generally square, which present themselves in every direction 

 in which the visitor may turn his steps. These, with the large masses 

 of the remaining dagobahs, and the immense quantity of carved stones 

 that lie about the paths in all directions, will convince the most seep- ; 

 tical that he is treading on the ruins of a once great and populous city, 

 and that those who inhabited it were to a very considerable extent 

 civilized and refined. One peculiarity, if at all observant, he cannot 

 fail to notice, the great superiority of the more ancient to the more 

 modern structures — a superiority as decided and unquestionable as the 

 greater excellence of Grecian sculpture in beauty and sublimity to the 

 massive but rude masses of Egyptian architecture. 



In conclusion, let it be borne in mind that great as must have been 

 the expenditure of labour and power to erect the Lowa Maha Paya, or 

 the Ruanwelle, there are monuments of ancient Lanka and its people 

 still more demonstrative of their former greatness. I refer to the em- 

 bankments of the various tanks scattered in such profusion over the 

 north of the island, and especially in the immediate vicinity of Anu- 

 radhapura. To these I would point as the most conclusive evidences 

 of what the power of the Singhalese monarchs once was, and I can 

 only regret that my own observations have been too limited to allow of 

 my entering upon the subject in a manner likely to be satisfactory 

 either to my readers or myself. 



