the District of Noowerahahlwiya. 153 



able quantities of a dark heavy metalliferous stone, which has 

 all the outward appearance of furnace slag. The native tra- 

 dition is, that it is the refuse from the forges of giants who 

 lived of old ; but as I have since found it in many places, and 

 as Mr. Quinton tells me that it is common over a large part 

 of the Mulletivoe district, I am inclined to hope that it may 

 be a natural product, and have instituted inquiries into the 

 matter. 



The soil of the district is generally of a reddish hue (occa- 

 sionally intensely so), but, where liable to inundation, whether 

 natural or artificial, it is darker and richer. Potter's clay is 

 abundant, but so far as I know, none of it is adapted to the 

 manufacture of the finer kinds of earthenware. The soil, on 

 the whole, is not unfavourable to cultivation. 



There are no natural lakes nor thermal springs in the 

 district, nor are there any perennial rivers. The following 

 are the principal streams, and in the wet season contain large 

 bodies of water. 



I. The Dambool and Meerisgone Oyas, take their rise 

 near Dambool, and with some others of less importance, empty 

 themselves into the great Kalawewe tank; their united waters 

 on leaving this assume the name of Kala Oya, which for 

 many miles forms the boundary between this district and 

 Seven Ivories, and ultimately falls into the sea near Pomp- 

 arripoo. 



II. Kalankootti Ella and Se ey umb clangam e Oya, are tri- 

 butaries of the former, which take their rise some fifteen 

 miles west of Dambool, and also form, for some miles, the limit 

 between the same two first mentioned districts. 



III. The Malwathoe Oya ; one branch takes its rise from 

 the great Aervowewe tank, is called there Gall Oya, and a 

 little lower down Karunagalle Oya ; a second branch rises 

 from the foot of Rittigalie Kande (the first hill in Noowera- 

 kalawyia) and joins the former a little to the east of the 



1858,] 



x 



