46 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIV. 



10. A third visit to Sigiriya in January of this year, in 

 company with Mr. G. S. Saxton, Assistant Government 

 Agent, Matale, enabled me to select sites for the immediate 

 erection of temporary " cooly lines " and huts (wattle, leaf, 

 and thatch) for overseers and labourers of the Archaeological 

 Survey. The " lines " were built between the south end 

 of the Rock slope and the tank : the rice and tool store 

 and tent of the Archaeological Commissioner placed on a 

 plateau a hundred yards from the " gallery." 



11. Tamil labour — the Sinhalese cannot, or will not, dig 

 — is not obtainable locally. There was, therefore, no alter- 

 native but to move a force from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya. 

 This I succeeded in doing, not without considerable 

 difficulty, due to the place having a bad name from its 

 forest seclusion, the dread presence of countless yakku or 

 pisdchikal (demons), the unwholesome tank water, and the 

 scarcity of food. The latter objection I partially overcame 

 by arranging for advances of rice and cocoanuts, in addition 

 to a slightly enhanced rate of wages. 



12. Finally, on February 24 a force of 37 men and boys 

 left Anuradhapura for Sigiriya under my Head Overseer. 

 This inadequate gang was gradually raised by irregular 

 drafts to 75, but the total strength continued to fluctuate 

 owing to sudden and unavoidable " disappearances." 



13. I joined the labour force on March 5 and remained 

 in personal charge of operations until May 12, when the 

 season's work had to be closed, strong winds and generally 

 inclement weather having set in. 



14. The weather broke on April 26 with a succession of 

 very heavy thunderstorms followed by gusty days, which 

 gradually ushered in the high wind that on the Rock's 

 summit resembles a gale. 



15. The health of the coolies during the two and a half- 

 months they were at Sigiriya was on the whole good. A 

 few cases of fever and dysentery in a mild form were the 

 chief ailments, next to sores — a real plague. Since their 



