No. 58.— 1907. 



N UWAEA - G ALA . 



147 



course the sea line. Away to the southward stands Sitala 

 Wanniya and a precipitous mass of vast rocks. Westward, 

 again, one sees the Uva hills, and to the north-west the 

 mountains that cluster around the eastern confines of Rangalla, 

 in fact a perfect spot from which to view the eastern side of the 

 country. 



I found several more or less broken monoliths of dark stone, 

 but nowhere did I see any trace of Buddhistic import, either 

 as puja-gal, rupa, or karandu-gal ; the place looked grimly 

 fortification-like, and severely strong in natural as well 

 as artificial protection. The commanding position, the 

 solidity of structure, the natural difficulties of approach, 

 combined with the elaborate design for the conservatism of 

 water supply, leave a particularly convincing impression on 

 the mind that this could be no place of pious retreat only, 

 coupled as it is with a striking absence of shrines. The water 

 supply arrangements would serve probably 1,000 people, if 

 not more. This could hardly be necessary for a handful of 

 priests, especially when nature had planted a fort that could 

 lend its aid to guard a great arterial path creeping along the 

 outskirts of a probably unsubdued country, that at that time 

 was possibly inhabited by the Yakkus, or Veddas, that the 

 Sinhalese never really subdued. 



My time and means did not admit of excavation. This 

 must in time, when made, reveal the object and purpose of 

 Nuwara-gala, that I venture to suppose was a military strong- 

 hold, to which the cave added a suitable annexe for devotional 

 purposes. 



I mentioned in the earlier part of this Paper that I observed 

 what I believe to have been a guard-gate or block-house. It 

 may be desirable to describe this structure. I found certain 

 steps and slots cut in the living rock that would admit of 

 beams being placed at a high angle just sufficient to cover the 

 road, especially as they were probably jointed to horizontal 

 beams placed at an angle with the sloping rock. 



