4 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. X. 



A careful exploration of the jungles on the opposite side 

 of the road to the stone canoe led to some very satisfactory 

 "finds." Besides a multitude of stone pillars, stairways, and 

 pokunu, too indefinite to describe, a very large sedent statue 

 of Buddha was uncovered, in excellent preservation, with 

 the exception of the forearms, which are missing. A smaller 

 sedent limestone figure, seated at right angles to it, was 

 also discovered, but terribly mutilated. The deeply worn 

 hollows in the " kneeling-stone " at its base perhaps attest its 

 sanctity and account for its mutilation. A little further on 

 the extreme tip of a large dvdrapdla, or "door-guardian 

 stone," and a small square pillar, protruded above the surface. 



Curiosity, excited by the size of the dvdrapdla, prompted 

 excavation, which resulted in the unearthing of a magni- 

 ficent staircase, unrivalled in the ruins for completeness and 

 size, leading to the platform of a large Vihdra, of which the 

 outer boundary wall is almost perfect. One of the "door- 

 guardian stones " had fallen headlong, and was buried seven 

 feet or eight feet deep, but when it was at length raised 

 into position it proved to be the most perfect specimen yet 

 discovered. It measures 4 ft. 6 in. high by 2 ft. 3 in. wide 

 inside the frame, the total length of the stone being 6 ft. 

 The tip of the nose is broken, otherwise it is as perfect as 

 on the day when it was carved. On either side of the 

 landing-stone at the top of the stairs two oblong slabs are let 

 in, which are carved exactly to represent the sides of a couch, 

 and are hollowed to receive the back of a man in a sitting 

 posture. Mr. Wrightson of the Public Works Depart- 

 ment calculates that the landing-stone by itself weighs 

 about sixteen tons. The whole of the staircase (which has 

 also a fine "moonstone") is in solid granite, the outer 

 sides terminating in bold ogee moulding. This moulding 

 is continued in brickwork coated with chunam the whole 

 way round the outer wall of the platform, which measures 

 85 ft. by 68 ft. ; the brick moulding is based on a square 

 stone pediment. Very little trace of the flooring of the 

 platform is left, and most of the huge pillars have been 



