NO. 48. — 1897.] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY, SIGTRIYA. Ill 



any one point, except at such a distance that even a tele-photographic 

 lens failed to bring them reasonably close. We therefore decided to 

 photograph and paint the two caves from mid-air. 



A 4-in. hawser was lowered to the ground from the summit over 

 the west cliff (which here projects considerably), and a strong iron 

 block bound to the end. Through this block a 2-in. rope was passed, 

 and an improvised chair firmly tied on to it : the hawser was then 

 pulled half way up the Rock scarp. Hauled up thus, one swung in the 

 air upwards of 150 ft. above the ground, and 50 ft. clear of the cliff.* 



Instantaneous photographs were tried, but with little success, owing 

 to the strong wind and an indifferent drop-shutter. 



On the other hand, after a week's " rocking " in space, Mr. Perera 

 completed an excellent little oil painting, to scale (about -^nd). This 

 shows at a glance the relative position of the several figures.f 



This season the same wire ladder was erected in good 

 time. Mr. Perera set to work in February, and plodded on 

 steadily until, first, the remaining eleven frescoes of 

 " pocket " i B,' and finally, the five in ' A' had been copied 

 in every particular. 



As to the wonderful fidelity with which Mr. Perera has 

 carried through a laborious undertaking, encompassed by 

 great difficulties, I can but reiterate the high opinion I put 

 on record last year : — 



It is hardly going too far to assert that the copies represent the 

 original frescoes, as they may still be seen at Sfgiriya, with a faithful- 

 ness almost perfect. Not a line, not a flaw or abrasion, not a shade 

 of colour, but has been reproduced with the minutest accuracy.^ 



The wire ladder, as fixed, falls almost perpendicularly to 

 the floor of the " gallery," within one foot of its wall, from 

 the shoulder of the overhanging rock, 40 ft. up. From that 

 point the rock bends inwards for 4 ft. or so to the sloping 

 floor of the larger " pocket" ' B.' This cave is fairly roomy 

 — 38 ft. 4 in. by 11 ft. 8 in. — and more than high enough to 



* See Plate. The deep shadows were cast by the setting sun. [An 

 enlarged drawing was on exhibition at the Meeting.— Hon. Seel 



f Exhibited at the Meeting. The accompanying Plate has been litho- 

 graphed from a photograph of Mr. Perera's painting. 



% I may add that Mr. Perera's work has been examined on the spot and 

 received unstinted praise from a succession of visitors, official and private, 

 who have had the opportunity of comparing the copies with the original 

 paintings on the spot. 



