No. 48.— 1897.] 



APPENDIX. 



131 



(7) " The presumption of ' exotic ' artists would imply that painting 

 was the only art in which the ancient Sinhalese were lacking, great as 

 they admittedly were in sculpture, architecture, engineering," &c. 



This opens up a far wider question, and one that must not be 

 " begged." Is Mr. Fernando prepared to prove that the Sinhalese 

 were " great " in " sculpture, architecture, engineering," &c. ? Will he 

 favour the Asiatic Society with a Paper on " The Characteristics of the 

 Sinhalese style of Ancient Architecture, as distinct from the 

 Buddhistic and Dra vidian styles found in India" ? I do not say the 

 task is impossible ; but it is not to be undertaken hastily. At present 

 there is much ground for the supposition that the Sinhalese kings 

 imported skilled artizans from the continent to execute very many of the 

 ancient monuments of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, &c, commonly 

 attributed to the Sinhalese. Few are the forms of building and 

 sculpture which cannot be easily traced to an Indian source. 



H. C. COTTLE. ACTING GOVERNMENT PRINTER, COLOMBO, CEYLON. 



Anuradhapura, January 22, 1898. 



Yours faithfully, 



H. C. P. Bell. 



3U AL1^98 



