No. 44.— 1893.] 



PROCEEDINGS. 



13 



Correspondence. 



No. 112. Anuradhapura, September 3, 1891. 



Sir,-— I have the honour to invite attention to my letter No. 148 

 of December 16 last,* relative to the restoration of some ruins out 

 of the unexpended balance of the Excavation Fund, to which I have 

 as yet received no reply. 



I am, &c, 



H. C. P. Bell, 

 Archaeological Commissioner. 



The Hon. Secretary, Ceylon Branch, 

 Royal Asiatic Society. 



No. 182. Colombo, September 5, 1891. 



Sir, —With reference to your letter of the 3rd instant, I have the 

 honour to inform you that your letter No. 148 of December 16, 1890, 

 was laid before a Meeting of the Council of this Society held on May 

 13 last, when it was resolved " That the whole of the balance of the 

 Excavation Fund be placed at the disposal of Mr. Bell, to be devoted 

 to the objects for which the money was originally subscribed." 



I am, &c, 



H. C. P. Bell, Esq., c.c.s. G. A. Joseph, 



Archaeological Commissioner. Assistant Secretary. 



Anuradhapura, October 30, 1891. 



Sir,' — In continuation of my letter No. 148 of December 16, and in 

 reply to your No. 182 of September 5 on behalf of the Council of 

 the Asiatic Society, I have the honour to point out that the wording 

 of the Resolution of Council placing at my disposal balance of the 

 Excavation Fund leaves the matter in statu quo. 



The object for which the money was originally subscribed appears 

 to have been to carry out excavations at Mirisawetiya Dagaba. An 

 Archaeological Sub-Committee was appointed (see Resolution of 

 Council of the Asiatic Society's Committee, dated March 24, 1884), 

 consisting of His Excellency the G-overnor (Sir A. H. Gordon), 

 President ; the Hon. J. F. Dickson, c.M.a., Vice-President ; and 

 W. R. Kynsey, Esq., p.c.m.o., to direct that work in co-operation with 

 the Government Agent and the Provincial Engineer of Anuradhapura. 

 The amount subscribed was Rs. 840. 



Work on Mirisweti Dagaba was at once commenced under the 

 immediate superintendence of Mr. S. M. Burrows, c.cs. 



The result was disappointing — nothing of real value was discovered. 

 It was found that no chapels existed on three sides of the Mirisawetiya 

 Dagaba, and all that was laid bare were the mouldings and plaster 

 covering of the Dagaba. (Statement of President, General Meeting, 

 January 29, 1885.)f 



* Printed in Journal No. 42, vol. XII., p. 30. 



f See also Excavations at Anuradhapura (S. M. Burrows). Ceylon 

 Asiatic Society's Proceedings, 1887-88, pp. cii.. ciii. 



