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



hands, which began work in February, by a steady influx of 

 recruits from Anuradhapura and other places, Above all, 

 the higher rate of pay known to rule at Sigiriya acted as the 

 chief incentive, whereby the Archaeological Survey " mill " 

 was kept constantly supplied with a never-failing stock of 

 living " grist." 



A score or more of Sinhalese drawn from the surrounding 

 villages — double the number that volunteered for work on 

 the Rock in 1895 — also sought employment, and proved 

 willing and competent " basket-men." 



As before, I supervised operations personally, from the 

 start until we broke camp on May 25. 



Weather. 



Comparatively little rain fell at Sigiriya during the first 

 six months of this year. The rain-gauge register (continued 

 after my departure by the Head Draughtsman) gives a daily 

 average of only *12 in. for the six and a half months between 

 February 1 and July 10. The highest record for twenty -four 

 hours did not exceed 1*53 ; but that fell " plump " in an 

 hour and a half. 



At the beginning of May — later than usual — the wind 

 veered round to the south-west, — the annual warning that 

 the time remaining for unrestricted work on the top of 

 Sigiri-gala is limited to a few days. The tearing strength of 

 this " yal-hulanga" when fully developed, as it sweeps 

 across the lone, exposed Rock, can only be realized by 

 actual experience. 



Health. 



Thanks to the continuance— unlike previous seasons — of 

 unusually fine weather, almost every week marked " a clean 

 bill of health." 



Two mild cases of measles caused me anxiety for a while. 

 The patients were at once segregated, and luckily no fresh 

 cases occurred. Had infection spread, that insensate panic 

 which renders the ordinary Tamil cooly, or Sinhalese goiyd, 

 deaf to reason in the face of any epidemic would have led, 



