ft 



NO. 61. — 1908 ] LESSER KNOWN HILLS. 



173 



sbones not unlike a cottage-loaf of bread each, the summit of 

 which has excavated in it a socket of about 5 in. by 5 in. by 

 4| in. to 6 in. deep. These stones are more or less arranged 

 in polygonel order, on a large mound of earth. Some are 

 rectangular in position, and others again of irregular outline. 

 Close to these stones is the usual abundance of brickwork, 

 the individual components of which are remarkably large, 

 some of the bricks being fully 15 in. long, by 8 in. by 3 in. 

 Close to this spot an opening in the bush indicates the 

 presence of rock ; there one finds a few solid stone steps rising 

 from a plainly cut moonstone. The steps are next traced to a 

 fciuge mass of rock, where they are cut out of the living stone 

 itself, and form a total number* of 154. At one point, where 

 the rock flattens, there is a pokuna, on the side of which is an 

 inscription, that is weathered to a very serious extent. Near 

 this again is a ruin of probably a vihare and dagoba with 

 scattered remains of large cut-stone slabs, and also some 

 curious stone cuttings that I think may have been connected 

 with devotional operations. The summit of this mass of rock, 

 which is locally known as Namaluwa-hela, is crowned with 

 the remains of a dagoba, of which at present only a mass of 

 brickwork survives. The bricks as usual were large, and of 

 excellent composition. Among them I found a piece of carved 

 stone that, from its shape, suggested the lid of an urn that 

 may possibly have received the ashes of some forgotten 

 prelate. 



To the north, at some distance from the base of Namaluwa- 

 hela, I found the remains of a very large brick-built dagoba, 

 with, to one side, a long and well- shaped flower offertory of 

 stone. The dagoba I estimate to have been 80 ft. high, but 

 it is at present completely within the grip of forest vegetation. 

 Close to this again I found a Jcina, as well as a number of 

 nd (ironwood) trees, pointing clearly to their human 

 introduction. 



To the south and west of the hill just described flows the 

 Heda-oya, the waters of which in olden days were diverted for 

 irrigation purposes, notably near Labugala, where the traces 

 of the amuna (dam) are still to be found, as well as the Yoda- 

 ela that supplied a system of tanks to the eastward. 



