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



malawas (terraces) one above the other. At the north end 

 the maluwa is about ten feet high. 



About 5 chains south of the trigonometrical station I saw 

 the remains of a brick building, but there is not enough 

 left to make anything out of it. 



I came across a moulded stone by the side of the path 7 

 about half way up the hill, from which I gather that there 

 are some ruins near the top of the hill which have not yet 

 been discovered. 



At Galapitagala there is a big rock, which was apparently 

 once a gal-ge, on top of a slab rock. There is an inscription 

 on the south side, but all I could make out was what is 

 shown in fig. 12. 



Mr. D. G. Mantell's Report on Ritigala. 



Kurunegala, August 6, 1878. 



Sir,- — In accordance with your instructions I visited on the 17th 

 ultimo the mountain called Ritigala, situated in the North- Central 

 Province, and being provided with an aneroid and thermometer took 

 observations with the view of inspecting as to its suitability for the 

 establishment of a sanatarium, and I beg to report as follows, viz. : — 



1. The mountain is situated in the southern portion of the North- 

 Central Province, and the distance from the town of Anuradhapura, in 

 a south-easterly direction, to Ulpottagama at the southern foot of the 

 mountain, is 27 miles by a good cart road all the way. 



2. The mountain, although an isolated range, consists of two hills 

 standing north and south of each other, and separated by a deep, 

 narrow, rocky gorge, and both are of an extremely rocky and precipi- 

 tous character. The western and southern aspects of the range 

 present an almost inaccessible appearance, but the eastern slopes of 

 the southern hill are clothed, above and below the high projecting 

 precipices, with heavy virgin forest, and it is on this side the ascent of 

 the hill is always made. 



3. On the higher and southern division of the mountain the 

 trigonometrical pile stands 2,506 ft. above sea-level, and 500 ft. lower 

 than the pile and a quarter of a mile to the east of it there is the only 

 piece of flat land in an elevated position on the entire range suitable 

 for building purposes, and in which there is water to be found. 



4. This flat is most favourably situated as regards shelter from the 

 south-west monsoon, which strikes the western side of the range with 

 great fierceness. I looked down from the trigonometrical pile on this 

 flat, and it appeared to be 15 or 20 acres in extent ; but as there were 

 heavy mists driving along at the time, I could only get at intervals 

 partial and fleeting glances at it ; besides, knowing how difficult it is to 

 guess the extent of forest land by looking down upon it, I wish it to 

 be understood that this estimate may be liable to considerable correc- 

 tion after actual survey. 



