148 
JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XVIII. 
One number of the Journal has been published during the year 
(Vol. XVIL, No. 53, 1902). It contains, in addition to the Proceed- 
ings of the Council and the General Meetings, the following Papers : — 
Journals. 
" A Descriptive Catalogue of the more useful Trees and Flowering 
Plants of the Western and Sabaragamuwa Provinces of 
Coylon," by F. Lewis, F.L.S. 
" Resolutions and Sentences of the Council of the Town of Galle, 
1640-44,'^ being the Translation of Vols. I. and II. of the 
Galle Dutch Records, edited and revised by R. G. Anthonisz, 
Government Archivist. 
250 copies of each of No. 1, Vol. I., 1845, and No. 3, Vol. I., 
1847-1848, have been reprinted during the past year. 
Arch^ological. 
The Council has, as usual, been favoured with a brief summary of 
the work done by the Arch geological Survey in 1903. 
Operations were steadily prosecuted during the past year at Anu- 
radhapura, Sigiriya, and Polonnaruwa, 
Anurddhapura. 
Mirisavetiya ^rea.— Excavations in the Mirisavetiya area were 
systematically continued. The unearthing of the ruins (vihares^ 
pirivenas, &c.) clustered round the Dagaba is a comparatively easy 
task from the similarity and simple character of the buildings. But 
the excavation of the porticos and walls of the inner and outer quad- 
rangle is proving very heavy digging, owing to the masses of debris 
thoughtlessly piled outside the maluiva of the Dagaba when it was 
cleared about 1885. Consequently, progress towards the completion of 
this area has been slower than was anticipated, and is likely to be 
retarded until the enclosing walls and four manda'pa of the Dagaba are 
laid bare. 
The excavation of the handsome north mandapaya^ or portico, and 
of the north walls, inner and outer, of the Dagaba quadrangle, were 
finished last year. These have repaid the time spent upon them. The 
stone- built portico is in excellent preservation. It is connected to a 
stone-revetted basement wall which served as a wide gangway outside 
the regular slab wall of the paved malmva. 
The gangway and upper encircling wall have been carefully re-set^ 
as far as practicable, along the entire north face of the quadrangle. 
When the other three sides are similarly treated the approaches to the 
Dagaba, and its general appearance, will be greatly improved. 
Ruwanveli-Thupdrdma Area, — One of the finest of the ancient vihares 
of Anuradhapura lies a little south of the Thiiparama Dagaba. It 
stands out pre-eminent from the generality of the ruins of this area, in 
the massiveness of its moulded basement slabs, and, specially, for the 
fine moonstone and quaintly ornamented balustrades of the entrance 
stairs. The chaos of its slabs testified to the mighty convulsive power 
of the forest trees which formerly covered the site. 
In 1901 this vihare was taken in hand for restoration, gutted to its 
foundations, and all slabs and broken pillars laid outside ready to be 
replaced. Last year the ruin was partially rebuilt on the old lines,, 
and the restoration will be completed gradually. 
Jungle clearing, — The share of the vote of Rs. 4,000 for clearing 
jungle in and around Anuradhapura, allotted to the Archaeological 
Commissioner, was expended in clearing undergrowth at Vessagiriya,. 
