NO. 47. — 1896.] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY, SIGIRIYA. 259 



for the permanent conservation of the ruins of Stgiri-nuwara. 

 The villagers of Sigiriya and Pidura-gala had extended 

 chena cultivation within the mahd bemma enclosing the 

 ancient city. Consultation with the Acting Assistant 

 Government Agent, Matale (Mr. S. M. Burrows), and inquiry 

 at the spot, terminated in the following official order : — 



No chenai'ng will be allowed within these boundaries : on the west 

 of the Rock, — the outer bemma ; on the east of the Rock, — nothing 

 west of the path to Pidura-gala or within the rectangular bemma north 

 of Sigiriya tank. 



(b) The District Road Committee spent this year a small 

 sum, much needed, on the improvement of the minor road 

 from Inamaluwa to Sigiriya. There is hope, too, that the 

 present uninhabitable " Gansabhawa bungalow " at Sigiriya 

 may be supplanted in 1897 by a small serviceable resthouse. 

 At present there is no decent accommodation for visitors 

 desirous of staying the night at Sigiriya. 



(c) The dangerous breach in the "gallery" wall, between 

 the approach ladder and the first flight of steps, has been 

 built up to the level of the " gallery " floor. With another 

 year's neglect this isolated, and most southerly, portion of 

 the wall would have fallen bodily. 



(d) Besides copying the frescoes, Mr. Perera made detailed 

 measurements and drawings of this year's excavations,* 

 which will be turned to account in my fuller Annual 

 Report. 



(e) The series of Government photographs of Sigiriya 

 has been materially added to this year. Three albums 

 containing the set so far taken accompany this Report.! 



In conclusion, I have merely to report that, subject to the 

 approval of Government, I propose to resume operations at 

 Sigiriya, as before, in February next. With this end a party 



* Exposure day after day to the intense glare on the Rock's summit 

 affected Mr. Perera's eyesight so severely that he was ordered complete 

 rest for some weeks. 



f Exhibited at the Meeting. 



