No. 62.— 1909.] 



NOTES ON DELFT. 



355 



and is so far different in style from any erection of the 

 kind I ever saw, which were all solid, as are, I believe, the 

 dagobas in the Kandyan territory. The foundations of four 

 small temples are to be seen close to the larger one, and there 

 have formerly been six, two at the sides of each flight of steps, 

 one at the north, and one at the south fronts, all circular and 

 bell-shaped, with chunam ornaments and mouldings. Were 

 it not that the plough had passed over the adjacent grounds 

 so often as to have obliterated all marks, I have little doubt 

 the foundations of an outer wall would be seen, forming a 

 square or compound to the temple ; in one spot there is a 

 part of a wall, but what renders it still more probable is a 

 number of large stones, with square holes cut in them for 

 supporting pillars, scattered in various places, and which 

 have doubtless belonged to the ' Rhakians 5 and ' Swammy ' 

 houses surrounding the object of adoration." 



It would appear from this description that this was really a 

 native and not a Portuguese stronghold, otherwise the temples 

 can hardly be accounted for. Nothing can now be distin- 

 guished of them or of the flights of steps. 



To leave now the subject of the forts, the Maniyagar showed 

 me an itti, or small-leaved ficus* tree, on the side of the road 

 between the Government house and the harbour, which is 

 known as " The gossip tree " (Minakkaddan itti), the " Scandal 

 corner" of Delft, where the men congregate for that purpose. 

 According to the Maniyagar, the men are much idler than the 

 women, who are, in fact, of more importance. Latterly, 

 another tree nearer the harbour has begun to supersede the 

 original " Gossip tree." 



There is a dry ditch running inland from the sea near the 

 old Portuguese fort, known as " Nolan's canal " (vaihkal). It 

 is connected with the small lagoons , or kalikal, which he between 

 this and the horse plains, and the tradition is that Captain 

 Nolan used to go along it by boat to Vellai near the horse 

 enclosure on the other side of the island, 3£ miles distant. f 



* Ficus retttsa. 



f It was cut to drain off the flood water at the end of the year , 

 but did not answer its purpose. 



2 c 26-09 



