416 JOURNAL R. A. S. (CEYLON). [Vol. III. 



Iron alum, found as an efflorescence on a decomposing 

 rock of gneiss called pudama near Teldeniya. The speci- 

 men contains more iron than alum. 



Plumbago abounds in Bintenna. 



Nitre Earth. 



There are numbers of nitriferous caverns in this district 

 composed of large limestone rocks with subterranean pas- 

 sages, and containing heaps of mould-like earth emitting 

 a strong ammoniacal odour. These heaps are the products 

 of the dung of myriads of bats that have inhabited there 

 from ages. By the action of the carbonate of lime in the 

 limestone on the dnng thus deposited, there results the 

 well-known chemical compound of nitrate of lime such as is 

 obtained from the artificial nitre beds of Europe. The 

 Sinhalese, who call the earth vavul pas, " bats earth," 

 have a mode of converting it into saltpetre not altogether 

 dissimilar to the mode adopted in Europe at the present day, 

 by which the nitrate of lime is converted, by means of 

 ashes, into the nitrate of potash or saltpetre. 



The manufacture of saltpetre was one of the compulsory 

 labours imposed on the people of the district, and called 

 Lunu-rdjakdriya which began in the month of June or 

 July. The people of Lunu-gala, a village about four 

 miles from Badulla, proceeded to a cave at Gampaha in 

 Kandapalla korale and constructed sheds for the manu- 

 facture, they were assisted by others who furnished them 

 with torches and oil for working in the dark caves. 



The manufacturers of the nitre belonged to a caste called 

 Vahumpurayo, who collected nitre earth and firewood ; 

 four or five gamardlas supplied them with a quantity 

 of kakune or kene oil, a dhoby furnished torches made of 

 cloth and the dried spath of the coconut, and potters of 

 Tunkinde supplied pots for carrying on the manufacture. 



The following is the process adopted, which is exceedingly 

 simple and inexpensive. They take a quantity of nitre 



