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



Mr. Murray's efforts are beyond praise That under circum- 



stances more favourable the Archaeological Survey has been enabled 

 to obtain, for the first time, actual facsimiles of the Sigiriya frescoes — 

 just as they remain after the ivear and tear of nearly fifteen centuries — 

 need in no degree detract from the individual merit of Mr. Murray's 

 pioneer work.* 



" Tis not in mortals," as we know, " to command 

 success." Mr. Murray has done more : he has deserved it. 

 His rapidly executed, but none the less beautiful, crayon 

 drawings adorn the Museum walls : to drag them into 

 comparison with the finished copies in oils of a trained 

 draughtsman would be as unbecoming as unjust. 



In 1895 — our first season — " Mr. Perera was prepared with 

 all requisite materials for copying the fresco portraits." 

 But it was not until the following year, after protracted 

 correspondence, that the Public Works Department solved 

 the difficulty of devising some inexpensive plan for making 

 both the " pockets " ( * A,' * B ' ) accessible. 



Several alternative proposals culminated in a suggestion 

 of the Provincial Engineer, Central Province, which was 

 adopted. Mr. R. D. Ormsby designed— 



A vertical wire ladder, cane-hooped, and securely fastened to iron 

 jumpers above and stout rings below — a mode of ascent theoretically 

 simple, but requiring a firm hold and a sure head.f 



This ladder the Public Works Department could not 

 get into position for some time after we commenced work 

 last year. In consequence, only six facsimile copies of the 

 complete series were finished in 1896. 



The delay was, however, turned to account profitably in 

 a collateral direction— the securing of a comprehensive 

 painting of the two " pockets " ' A,' 4 B,' and their frescoes 

 as a whole. % 



I quote from last year's Report : — 



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

 prevents a complete view of all the frescoes together being got from 



* C. A. S. Journal, vol. XIV., No. 47, 1896, pp. 256-57. f Id., p. 254. 

 % Besides the copying of the " viyan redda " painting, discovered in a 

 cave under a boulder west of the Rock. 



