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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XXI. 



I was greatly struck with the progress made by the Survey, 

 and the large amount of good work accomplished. 



To appreciate and understand archaeological work it is absolutely 

 necessary to visit the places of excavation ; only then can one 

 rightly judge of what has been, and is being, done. 



I wish particularly to draw attention to important excava- 

 tions that I saw which had already been carried out, or are 

 now proceeding, at Polonnaruwa. An important rock temple 

 (Gal Vihdre) with beautiful stone statues of Buddha has been 

 fully unearthed. Frescoes have been discovered at a brick built 

 vihare,. styled popularly Demala Mahd Seyd, the excavation of 

 which is nearing completion. These paintings give promise, in 

 some respects, of eclipsing the well-known Sigiri frescoes, facsimiles 

 of which are in the Colombo Museum. 



3. Mr. A. E. Roberts in a brief speech contended that stone 

 buildings existed in India in the eleventh century before the 

 Christian era. 



4. The Hon. Mr. P. Arunachalam in proposing a hearty vote of 

 thanks to the lecturer expressed a hope that it might be possible 

 for the Ceylon Government to offer Mr. Wickremesinghe sufficient 

 inducement to return and settle in the Island. 



The Hon. Mr. H. L. Crawford seconded the vote of thanks. 

 Carried cordially. 



Inscription at Mihintale. 



5. Satischandra Vidyabhusana, a scholar from India, 

 addressed the Meeting by permission of the President regarding a 

 rock inscription recently discovered at Mihintale, which, he stated, 

 could not be later than the third century before the Christian era, 

 and which was the oldest record extant in Ceylon or India. He 

 then gave a full description* of the inscription , which he proceeded 

 to interpret as follows : — 



Translation of the Inscription. 



the eldest son enjoined by adorable preceptor and sent by father 



(comes) accompanied by four men ; and, desirous of doing good steals 

 away the sin of people — by leaning, standing, and sitting on (this) land. 



6. Mr. Wickremasinghe criticised the reading and translation 

 of the rock record." The inscription from the character belonged 

 palteographically to the second century after Christ, and was 

 far from being the oldest inscription extant. He could not agree 

 with the translation. In his opinion the record merely stated 

 that somebody had constructed a tank, and that certain fields 

 irrigated by that tank had been granted to a certain temple. 

 Doubtless a copy of the inscription was among the squeezes of 

 Mihintale rock records taken by the Archaeological Commissioner. 



The Meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman . 

 proposed by Dr. Bawa and seconded by Archdeacon de Winton. 



* The Indian scholar having by letter, of November 10, 1909, 

 acknowledged that his " interpretation of the inscription was based 

 on a wrong copy," and incorrect, his laboured description has been 

 omitted. — Ed. Sec. 



