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



bastions : hexagonal, in the old style, certainly, and with little 

 internal space, but placed where it was convenient. The 

 walls were of simple mud (taipa), this being sufficient 

 against the natives, with a moat and a ditch on one side and 

 the other, which ended in a lake that on the landward side 

 encircled a third of the city. There were two hundred and 

 thirty -seven pieces of artillery mounted, of three kinds, from 

 ten to thirty-eight" pounds. It was situated on a bay capable of 

 containing many small vessels, and was exposed to the north. 

 The circumvallation occupied one thousand three hundred 

 paces. On the point of the Reef, which is on the south, was 

 erected a large breastworkf (couraga) with the heaviest 

 artillery, called Santa Cruz, This commanded and defended 

 the whole bay ; thence the city runs open towards the 

 south, this part being called Galvoca, which, on account of 

 the reef, has no need of a wall ; at the end of this, on the sea- 

 side, is a bastion, and at its root commences the ditch, which 

 extends with a modern wall and another bastion, which are 

 called those of Mapane,J where is a gate with a drawbridge, 

 and this same ditch runs along, and the wall, until it ends in 

 the lake, terminating in the bastion of S. Gregorio. From 

 the sea to this point was the best fortification that the city 

 had, and not inferior to that of the said lake, which encircled 

 it for a distance of four hundred paces. The latter has a 

 circumference of more than two leagues, and breeds a great 

 quantity of crocodiles. At a hundred paces beyond the 

 bastion referred to is another, besides a large house and 

 powder-mill, and by means of the water extending from the 



* Le Grand has " thirty -six." 



f Le Grand has " une espece d'Eperon," which Lee translates " a small 

 battery." This couraga was built by Constantino de Sa in 1625. 



% In Le Grand's plan of Colombo this name is wrongly given as " Mapassa." 

 As to the meaning of Mapane Mr. L. C. Wijesinha writes to me : — " I think 

 there is no mistake that the first syllable Ma is an abbreviation of maha ; 

 pane, I presume, means pitiya, a plain; so that the name is significant, 

 meaning the great plain. I believe the terminations pitiya, due, m ane, pane, 

 in the names of villages, are synonyms, and mean" an avenue, plain, &c. 

 I was not aware that the Galle Face was called Mapane, I believe it is 

 now called, or used to be called, Polatupittaniya" 



