Irrigation Works of Prakrama Bahoo. 141 



eluding chapter of the reign of the same monarch, and gives 

 a summary account of the principal public works executed 

 during his government. It consists of 87 verses, of which the 

 first 24 relate to the formation of extensive gardens and plan- 

 tations ; the next 26 to the construction of tanks and canals ; 

 and the last 27 to the erection of various public buildings, 

 such as dagobas, image houses, preaching halls, inns or houses 

 for strangers, libraries, theatres, &c. I have only translated 

 the verses relating to tanks ; those which have reference 

 to canals and water-courses having already been translated 

 and published by Mr. Turnour in the Ceylon Almanac for 

 1834. 



I have not thought it necessary to add any comments of 

 my own, by way of illustrating the translation ; but I may 

 perhaps be permitted to say a word in reference to the infor- 

 mation which a passage in the first extract gives respecting 

 the " Sea of Prakrama," to which so much attention has 

 lately been drawn by the publication of that valuable con- 

 tribution to the ancient History of Ceylon, — the " Report 

 on the Ellahara Canal, by Messrs. Adams, Churchill and 

 Bailey." 



As stated by these Gentlemen, " the situation of the Sea 

 of Prakrama has never hitherto been satisfactorily ascer- 

 tained." 



Turnour states (vide Ceylon Almanac of 1834, p. 68) that 

 " the Sea of Prakrama with its embankments of many out- 

 lets is yet unknown, or at least unnoticed." 



Major Forbes indeed surmised that the series of Lakes con- 

 nected by the Ellahara Canal, might be the waters to which 

 the vanity of a king gave his own name, but he adds, that 

 {e until this canal shall have been traced through the Kondu • 

 ruwawe hills, the extent, and difficulty of such an undertak- 

 ing must excite doubts whether it were successfuly accom- 

 plished." 



