164? CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



means of a canal and a series of lakes and back-waters till it 

 again meets the sea three miles to the north of Chilaw : The 

 greater portion of the gulf is very shallow, being not more 

 than from two to six feet in depth ; and in the north-east mon- 

 soon a space of several square mile is laid dry ; at this time 

 large quantities of decaying sea-weeds give rise to very un- 

 pleasant emanations — but it has not been observed that these 

 prove in any way injurious to health. The western boundary 

 of the gulf is formed by a long low strip of land from one 

 to three miles in breadth — which exhibits either bare downs 

 scantily covered here and there with stunted, winds! torn trees? 

 or extensive plantations of cocoanut palms which are found: 

 to thrive admirably in the apparently arid soil. This penin- 

 sula is commonly called the Akkerupattoo and is bounded on its 

 western side by the sea. 



The waters of the shallow gulf, being freely exposed to the 

 violence of the monsoons, are at all times extremely turbid and 

 having lost their diaphaneity, it may be premised that they will 

 be sensibly and rapidly affected by the rays of the sun. 



The village itself is situated on the edge of a plain extend- 

 in^ indefinite! v to the north and south, bounded on the west as 

 before mentioned by the gulf, and on the east by a range of 

 low undulating sand hills clothed with dense forests. This plain 

 i-i the immediate vicinity of Putlam, is either partially covered 

 by low open jungle, or is quite exposed; it is traversed by nu- 

 merous salt-water creeks and contains an abundance of small 

 tanks and marshes; except in the rainy season there is however, 

 no running water within a distance of several miles. 



The soil is for the most part quite sandy, with patches here 

 and there, of black paddy field earth, potters clay or recent 

 •marl, with deep silt along the shores of the sea and of the creeks: 

 cocoanut topes and a few neglected paddy fields are the only 

 signs of cultivation in. the neighbourhood. 



