NO. 46.-1895.] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY, SIGIRIYA. [45 



4. A first hurried visit had been made to Sigiriya on 

 June 22, 1893.* 



5. Subsequently correspondence was started with the 

 Public Works Department to secure, by the early months 

 of 1894, the erection of iron ladders and an iron hand-rail, — 

 an essential preliminary to carrying on operations on the 

 summit of the Rock with safety.j 



6. Owing to change of Public Works Department officers 

 and other causes, protracted delay ensued, despite reiterated 

 protests ; the only suitable season for work passed ; and not 

 until the end of 1894 were the iron ladders, &c, fixed in 

 position.^ Thus a whole year was lost. 



7. Meanwhile, on April 15, 1894, 1 again visited Sigiriya 

 and made an ascent by the jungle-wood ladders, and 6-in. rock 

 grooves beyond, to the top of the Rock, with a view of 

 gaining some notion of the probable amount of work to be 

 done on the summit. § 



8. The summit of the Rock was then (April, 1894) covered 

 with forest trees and a dense undergrowth, neck high. This, 

 with the undulations of the ground and free outcrop of 

 brick, satisfied me that the clearing of the timber and scrub, 

 and thorough excavation of the mounds of debris, would 

 entail heavy labour. 



9. In August, 1894, my Assistant (Mr. M. F. Maxfield), 

 acting on written directions from Kalutara, || employed a 

 gang of Sinhalese villagers to fell and burn the trees on the 

 top of the Rock, as well as close round the base of the western 

 and southern scarps. Nothing more could be done in 1894. 



* Album, C 178-183. 



f Copies of the correspondence were forwarded to Government. 



% To guard against all possibility of accident during the continuance of 

 work in 1895 the iron hand-rail was supplemented, by order of the Archaso- 

 logical Commissioner, with upright and cross fence-sticks. (Album, C 474.) 



§ Album, C 362-370. This was the last of some half dozen ascents to 

 the summit made by Europeans prior to the fixing of the iron ladders and 

 hand-rail. The rock was first ascended by a lady on April 14, 1895. 



|| Mr. Bell acted as District Judge, Kalutara, whilst also directing 

 Archaeological Survey operations, between May 1 and December 7, 1894. 



