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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIX. 



with regard to the Buried Cities of Ceylon that the Naples and 

 Cairo Museums have to the Buried Cities in their neighbour- 

 hood. 



The reservation of a portion of the new buildings for the purposes 

 of an auditorium is a matter which should be taken into con- 

 sideration after the work is completed. The Museum Reading 

 Room is at present used for the Asiatic Society's Meetings, for 

 prize givings , and for lectures. But if special accommodation were 

 provided for such gatherings, it would be an advantage. Further, 

 the Museum extension will be of advantage in several other 

 different ways. First, as regards the Asiatic Society ; secondly, 

 as regards the Museum Library, which is greatly cramped at 

 present, and is constantly growing by the addition of new books, 

 many of which are recommended and applied for by readers who 

 are engaged in special work, mineralogical, archaeological, ethno- 

 graphical, &c. We may well consider it a happy omen that the 

 extension of our Museum buildings is likely to be effected under 

 the auspices of a Governor who takes such a specially warm 

 interest in all connected with our ancient history and structures, 

 with science anda,rt, as does Sir Henry Blake. His Excellency's 

 friend and predecessor, Sir William Gregory, said in his first year 

 in Ceylon that he had always looked upon Museums as the best 

 means of imparting instruction in the most popular and agreeable 

 form, in which all classes and races might participate. 



It ought to be mentioned that there are two libraries in the 

 Museum, the Library of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic 

 Society and the Museum Library, the latter the only free public 

 library in the Colony. The Library of the Ceylon Branch of 

 the Royal Asiatic Society contains many valuable books on 

 Ceylon, Archaeology, Oriental Literature, Voyages (Hakluyt, &c), 

 India, &c, and a large collection of the publications of learned 

 Societies with whom the Society exchanges its Journal. The 

 policy of the Museum Library has been to acquire works of refer- 

 ence, natural science, Oriental literature, and books on Ceylon. 

 Of these books, the library contains many rare and costly 

 works {vide Sir West Ridge way's Address on his Administration, 

 p. 120). The Museum Library receives a copy of every work 

 published in the Colony since 1885. The acquisition of all works 

 relating to Ceylon goes on at an increasing rate, and the large 

 accessions of recent years, both by donation and purchase, have 

 placed the institution in the position of now possessing one of 

 the best collections, if not the best, of Ceylon literature. The 

 special characteristics of the Museum Library, besides a very 

 good collection of books on Ceylon, are a most valuable collection 

 of old manuscripts in Sinhalese, Pali, and Sanskrit, a very valuable 

 collection of books on Biology, Dictionaries, Encyclopaedias, 

 Journals, Books of Travel, Art, and Philology. 



In 1870, during the administration of Sir Hercules Robinson, 

 the Government undertook in a liberal spirit the task of rescuing 

 the ancient literature of Ceylon, and founded the Government 

 Oriental Library of Manuscripts, which is now a part of the Museum 

 Library. Many valuable old manuscripts have been added by 



