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



Except that the chambers are rather carefully made, the men, when 

 erecting this dagoba, have rather "scamped" the work, many of the 

 bricks being under or overburnt, whilst the mortar lining is very poor 

 indeed, and crumbles away on being rubbed. Where all is so excellent 

 in most old structures in Ceylon, it seems strange that in this, the 

 importance of which is attested by the relic receptacles and gold 

 images, such bad work should have been permitted. 



The absence of an inscription and the setting of the bricks in mud 

 seem to point to the great antiquity of the dagoba ; whilst the relics, 

 images of Buddha, and shape of the relic receptacles appear to 

 prove its erection some time after the re-institution and spread of 

 Buddhism in Ceylon. 



Sir W. H. Gregory addressed the Earl of Carnarvon on the 

 subject, and in connection therewith wrote on May 8, 1877, 

 as follows : — 



I have the honour to acknowledge your lordship's despatch of 7th 

 ultimo inquiring into the circumstances of the discovery of supposed 

 valuable antiquities in the neighbourhood of Kurunegala. 



2. I am happy to say that I believe all the antiquities of any 

 interest have been secured by the energy of Mr. Saunders, Acting 

 G-overnment Agent, from spoliation. They are nine sitting figures 

 of Buddha of different sizes, the highest about six inches. The 

 exterior of the figures is of thin gold plate, the interior of clay. They 

 are now in the Colombo Museum, which is every day receiving 

 valuable accessions of objects of early Sinhalese cult. 



3. Every effort is being made by the Government to rescue all 

 valuable objects of gold and silver from the melting pot. Notices are 

 affixed in public places in the different Provinces that the full value 

 of such articles will be given to the legitimate claimant. 



4. It is difficult to overcome the suspicion that Government means 

 to lay a strong hand on these articles and to seize them without com- 

 pensation, but it is to be hoped that after a few instances of full 

 payment of value, the natives will see that Government is a better 

 customer than the bazaar dealers. 



5. I subjoin herewith Mr. Saunders' account of the finding of these 

 images, with plans to illustrate the places in which they were buried. 



6. I may add that they were found on the site of one of the earliest 

 cities in Ceylon, which is said to have been in existence 500 B.C. 



Mr. Parker, to whom a proof of this Paper was forwarded, 

 has kindly furnished me with the following note : — 



In the short paragraph of mine which you quote, the dimensions 

 of the walled part of the city should be 1,000 ft. by 950 ft. It was 

 surveyed by Mr. Goonewardene in connection with the survey of the 

 tank. 



