NO. 47. — 1896.] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY, SIGIRIYA. 257 



Survey has been enabled to obtain, for the first time, actual 

 facsimiles of the Sigiriya frescoes— just as they remain after 

 the wear and tear of nearly a decade and a half — need in no 

 degree detract from the individual merit of Mr. Murray's 

 pioneer work. 



The height of the " pockets " from the ground and the 

 "gallery" prevents a complete view of all the frescoes 

 together being got from any one point, except at such a 

 distance that even a tele-photographic lens failed to bring 

 them reasonably close. 



It was therefore decided to photograph and paint the two 

 fresco caves from mid-air. 



The 4-in. hawser was transferred from the east to 

 the west edge of the summit, the rope lowered to the 

 ground over the cliff (which on this face projects con- 

 siderably), and a strong iron block bound to the end. 

 Through the block a new 2-in. rope was then passed, and 

 an improvised chair firmly tied on to it : the hawser was 

 then pulled half way up the west scarp ; and all was ready. 



Hauled up, one swung in the air 150 ft. and upwards 

 above the ground, and 50 ft. clear of the cliff. 



Swaying in mid-air from the force of the wind, the 

 instantaneous shutter used for photographing worked too 

 slowly, and the pictures were more or less blurred. 



On the other hand, after a week's " rocking " in space, Mr. 

 Perera completed an excellent little oil painting, to scale, 

 of the two fresco "pockets." This shows at a glance the 

 relative position of the several figures.* 



Other photographs* give views of (a) the ladder to 

 "pocket" "B";t (b) of both "pockets," taken from their 

 north and south ends ;% and (c) of the fresco portraits, 

 Nos. 1 to 14. § 



* Exhibited at the Meeting. 



f C 619, 620, 621. As in 1895, the ladder up to fresco " pocket " " B " was 

 removed at the close of the season's work. 

 % C 631-634. 

 § C 635-643. 



