NO. 61. — 1908.] LESSER KNOWN HILLS. 



165 



THE LESSER KNOWN HILLS OF THE BATTICALOA 

 DISTRICT AND LOWER UVA. 



By F. Lewis, F.L.S. 



In the early part of the year 1907 I had occasion to visit 

 some of the little known hills of the Panama Pattu in the 

 Batticaloa District, connected with a survey I then had on 

 hand. It was also necessary in the same connection to ascend 

 Govinda-hela (" Westminster Abbey ") as well as Deyigal-hela 

 — two mountains within the Province of Uva, but close to the 

 Eastern Province boundary. 



In the course of my work I had a very favourable opportu- 

 nity for making a tolerably close scrutiny of the flora of the 

 locality traversed, beside noting such items of archaeological 

 interest as came in my way, though the time at my disposal 

 did not admit of more than superficial observation of the 

 latter. In the hope that my notes may be of interest to the 

 Royal Asiatic Society, I venture to submit this Paper, con- 

 scious as I am of its many imperfections, but trusting that it 

 may lead to further investigation of the highly interesting 

 country that I traversed. 



I left Koslanda for a place called Siyambala-anduwa on 

 March 2, and reached the latter spot on the 5th, using the 

 Public Works Department bungalow as a starting point for the 

 work I had in hand. 



Siyambala-anduwa is a small village, with a few poorly- 

 constructed houses, situated on the eastern bank of the 

 Heda-oya, and to the south of a high rocky mass known as 

 Deyigal-hela, on which is an important trigonometrical 

 station. 



From Siyambala-anduwa I proceeded north to Kanankettiya 

 village, and from thence to a desolate spot called B6-ella, that 

 lies to the north-west of ' ' Westminster Abbey," and situated 



