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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XXI. 



Mr. Arunachalam said they were all greatly indebted to 

 Mr. Lewis for his interesting Paper, which dealt with a little known 

 district. He was not competent to deal with the ornithological 

 and botanical aspects of the Paper, which he would leave to 

 those more competent than himself ; but looking over the list at 

 the end of the Paper he noticed 108 plants and 18 kinds of ferns 

 mentioned. That was a large list, and indicated the care and 

 observation exercised by Mr. Lewis. The speaker next made 

 a few observations on the philology of the hills. Deyigal-hina , 

 for instance, was " god's rock ; " Nilgala was " blue rock " ; 

 Ndmalu-hela was from the nd tree. He thought Mr. Lewis was 

 wrong in his reference to Govinda-hela and Hinduism. If 

 G^vinda-hela was associated with Vishnu, it was something to 

 say that Adam's Peak was known as Sumanakuta. The ancient 

 names, such as Kataragama, indicated that the ancient religions 

 were animistic, but it was Hinduism in a more highly developed 

 form. It was nothing more than a speculation of his, but he 

 mentioned it as a suitable line of future inquiry for those more 

 competent than himself. 



The Chairman said Mr. Lewis, by compiling the Paper just 

 read, had set a very good example to public officers whose duties 

 take them to remote and sparsely-populated parts of the Island.* 

 A good deal was known about the ancient populousness of our 

 north and north-central districts ; but there was comparatively 

 little known of the south-east, whichr however, had also been 

 densely populated, as evidenced in the ruins of buildings, tanks, 

 &c. He could imagine the satisfaction of Sir Everard im Thurn 

 with the careful observation evidenced in Mr. Lewis's Paper, for 

 as President of their Society Sir Everard im Thurn had never 

 failed to impress them with the value of field observation in 

 Natural History and note- taking. They were much obliged to 

 Mr. Arunachalam for his critical and suggestive remarks. 



Dr. Nell proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Lewis for his Paper. 

 The Sinhalese in Bintenna knew Adam's Peak as Sumangala. 

 Mr. Lewis mentioned a large number of endemic plants, but 

 the hibiscus and the arnottiana were introduced in recent years, 

 and they, perhaps, found their way into the part of the country 

 mentioned by Mr. Lewis through travellers. Their President had 

 done well to emphasize the point that Survey and Land Settle- 

 ment Officers, and other such-like officials, should not neglect 

 their opportunities for interesting investigation when stationed in 

 the less known districts. 



The Chairman put the vote of thanks to Mr. Lewis, and it 

 was carried with acclamation. 



Farewell Presidential Address. 



4. Mr. Ferguson : — Ladies and Gentlemen , before closing 

 the Meeting, I have, in view of my approaching departure to 

 England, to place my resignation of the office of President of the 

 Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in the hands of the 

 Members, and to thank them for the honour conferred on me by 



