No. 53.— 1902.] 



ANNUAL REPORT. 



11 



the extension of the Museum." The Council will welcome with much 

 relief any steps taken by the Government to provide additional accom- 

 modation. Although the Society has funds, it is unable to use them 

 for books on account of want of room. 



Journals. 



One number of the Journal has been published during the year 

 (Vol. XVI., No. 51, 1900). It contains, in addition to the Proceedings 

 of the Council and the Annual General Meeting, the following 

 Papers : — 



(1) " A Chapter in Ceylon History in 1630," by D. W. Ferguson. 



(2) " Contributions to ' Ceylon Malacology," by 0. Collett, 



F.R.M.S. 



(3) " Joao Rodriguez de Sa e Menezes," by I). W. Ferguson. 



(4) " Pearl Oysters and Pearl Fisheries," by O. Collett, F.R.M.S. 



Archeology. 



The following is a synopsis of the work done by the Archaeological 

 Survey during 1901 : — 



Mr. Dashwood, the Assistant to the Archaeological Commissioner, 

 after struggling for months against the malarial fever of the North- 

 Central Province, had to leave the Island on furlough in May, in order 

 to recruit his health. Subsequently he resigned his appointment ; and 

 for the last eight months of the year the Archaeological Commissioner 

 had, once more, to carry on the work of his Department single-handed. 

 The conduct of the Archaeological Survey has necessarily been again 

 hampered, and its progress delayed, by the want of an Assistant during 

 the greater part of 1901. Concurrent work at two sites was not feasi- 

 ble, as in 1900, during the dry months of last year. All work had 

 to be suspended at Anuradhapura whilst the Archaeological Com- 

 missioner was engaged at Polonnaruwa between May and September. 



A nurddhapura. 



Ruwanveli area. — Excavations were pushed on southward in the 

 strip of the Ruwanveli area bordering the Basawakkulam tank, to 

 the west of the Assistant Agent's and the Government Agent's 

 residences and the Kachcheri. 



A small monastery with the customary quincunx arrangement of the 

 main buildings (central vihdre and four corner pirivenas) was fully 

 freed of the earth on all sides so as to show up well from the Inner 

 Circular road, which skirts it. The vihare is noticeable for its pair of 

 Ndga guard-stones and the ornamental balustrades of the steps. 



A little south of this monastery was laid bare the brick basement 

 of some circular ruin (perhaps a wata-da-ge, "round relic-house") 

 surrounded by an outer wall, octagonal in outline, with an entrance 

 passage on the east. 



Ruins below Tisd-vewa — Immediately below the embankment of 

 Tisa-vewa, and two to three hundred yards north of the Issurumuniya 

 Rocks and temple, is a smaller line of boulders. The overhanging sides 

 of these rocks were* utilized as cave shelters, and their summits for 

 superstructures ; whilst at their foot, on the east, other buildings were 

 erected. 



