50 journal r. a. s. ceylon. [extra nor 



Of the Mountain of Serendib (Adam's Peak). 



It is one of the highest mountains in the world : we saw it 

 from the open sea, when we were distant from it upwards of nine 

 days' march. While we were making the ascent, we saw the 

 clouds above us, hiding from view the lower parts of it. There 

 are upon this mountain many trees of kinds which do not cast 

 their leaves, flowers of divers colors, and a red rose as large as 

 the palm of the hand.* It is alleged that on this rose is an in- 

 scription in which one may read the name of God Most High 

 and that of his Prophet.f On the mountain are two paths lead- 

 ing to the Foot of Adam. The one is known by the name of 



is a cave and a well of water,' at the entrance to the mountain Serendib. 

 The old Moor's account is somewhat confused, his notes or recollections not 

 always carrying his facts exactly in their due order ; but half way down the 

 descent, on the left hand, is a well, excavated in the rock, in which we found 

 about five feet of water, and which swarmed with tadpoles. Possibly Tbn Batiita 

 found it in the same condition, for he speaks of the well, at the entrance, full 

 of fish, of which ' no one takes any.' At the bottom of the dell is a cleared 

 space ; in the centre of this is a square tank or well, the sides of which are 

 formed of blocks of stone, six or eight feet long. Beyond this, almost facing 

 the descent, some twenty feet up the opposite mountain's side, is a cave. To 

 this my companion and I forced our way through the jungle, and came to the 

 conclusion that this was the cave of Khizr, where, Ibn Batata says, ' the pilgrims 

 leave their provisions, and whatever else they have, and then ascend about two 

 miles to the top of the mountain, to the place of (Adam's) foot.' In the pre- 

 ceding sentence he says, ' Near this (cave) and on each side of the path, is a 

 cistern cut in the rock.' Now, no other place that we saw, or heard of — and 

 we were particularly minute in our inquiries — answers to such a description. 

 There are the two wells, and the cave ; and the distance to the foot-print is 

 also pretty fairly estimated." (Skeen, loc. cit., pp. 226-7.) — B. 



* " Gigantic rhododendrons overhang the wall on the eastern side of the 

 Peak. Their bending trunks seem, to the Buddhist mind, to bow. to the foot- 

 print ; and to offer, in homage and adoration, their wealth of crowning crimson 

 flowers to the pedal impress of the founder of their faith." (Skeen, loc. cit, 

 p. 200.). — B. 



-fThe pious Musalmans in this age of faith found their creed proclaimed 

 by nature itself not only on the flowers of the rhododendron, but on the leaves 



