36 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XV. 



Population* 



In the Census of 1 871, the total population of the following 

 villages was given as :■ — 



Houses. Families. Males. Females. Persons. 



Dambadeniya \ 



Mapagedara V 83 ... 83 ... 281 ... 257 = 538 

 Marawita * 



In subsequent decades the following figures were obtained 

 by the Census : — 



Year. Houses, Families. Males. Females. Persons. 



1881 Dambadeniya 57 ... 57 ... 143 ... 134 = 277 

 1891 do. 87 ... 87 ... 263 ... 206 == 469 



Buddhist Temporalities. 

 Under the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance, No. 3 of 

 1889, section 4, and by Proclamation in the Gazette of 

 November 15, 1889, Dambaderiiya was constituted a district, 

 consisting of four hatpattus, viz., Dambadeniya, Weuda, 

 Katugampola, and Dewamedi. Dambadeni, as well as the 

 other districts, Yapahuwa and Chilaw, formerly belonged to 

 the Central Province, with a central working committee at 

 Kandy. Subsequently the North- Western Province was 

 formed into a separate Province under the Ordinance, 

 unconnected with the Central, but the division into districts 

 remains the same. The Gazette of January 27, 1893, published 

 a list of trustees for the North-Western Province. An 

 amended list was published in the Gazette of October 12, 1894, 

 according to which 93 trustees were appointed for Damba- 

 deni, 111 for Dewamedi, 95 for Weuda, and 120 for 

 Katugampola. Let us hope that the accumulated wisdom 

 of this multitude of counsellors will help towards the satis- 

 factory working of the Ordinance, which, it is to be regretted, 

 has not been productive of the best results, at least in the 

 North- Western Province. 



6. The Chairman remarked that it was interesting to note that the 

 royal capitals of Ceylon, like the one under discussion, remained as 

 capitals only for a very short period ; therefore it was somewhat 

 difficult to place implicit reliance on the details of its grandeur, 

 described in the Mahdwansa, the writer of which might have, like a 



