7i6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April i, i8go. 
pliffht and unless heavy and unusual floods oome 
down the rivers from the Uva h'lK there must 
inevitably be a very limited cultivation for the 
kalavellamai crop and consequently it is feared 
much distress from the " famine of work " amongst 
the large population, which is almost entirelv depen- 
dent on paddy cultivation. Such an abnormal 
season is extremely rare and has oertainly not 
ooourred since 158. 
Near Trakkamam His Exoplleney visited the old 
Buddhistioal ruins looallv known as "Viharai," 
where a very fine brick dagoba covered with 
heavy jungle still exists, but most of the stone- 
work described in former accounts was found to 
have been utilized in the construction of the 
aniouts in the neighbourhood. In the afternoon 
of the same day His Excellenov and party rode 
through picturesque and park-like country for 
some seven miles to the Tillai Ar. This river was 
too depp to ride through, so the Vanniva had 
provided boats to cross it and on the eastern bank 
His Excellency was welcomed to the populous 
village of Karunkodditivu by several thousands of 
Moormpn of the Akkarai Pattu with firing of guns, 
presentation of limes, native music and other 
demonstrations of welcome : and when passing 
through the village was saluted by bodies of Moor- 
wompn standing inside their fences with thp 
"kuravai," a vibrating sound m n de by plaoing one 
finger within *be lips and agitating it so as to act 
on a low and ratber monotonous vocal chord which 
propppds from the performers' mouths. This is 
considered a verv high comnliment and reserved 
for snecial occasions like tbe present. 
N°xt dav His Excellpncv procpp^ed to Tirukkovil, 
whpre there is a resthouse ploasan+lv situated on 
the seaside and a vpry cplpbprated Hindu temple, 
to which there is a large annual pilgrimage in the 
autumn of each year. Ssgamam was the next 
haltingplace where there is a large tank to which 
it is intendpd to make additions and pxtensions at a 
earlv date for the ben<-fit of the 2,000 acres depen- 
dpnt thpre. At Tirukkovil the limit of the popu- 
lous part of the district was left behind and South 
of this the villages are few and far bptwpen. At one 
o f th"se Kumariya 10 mil°s south of T ; rukkovil, His 
Excellency was met bv the Katemahatmaya of the 
Sinhalese Pattu of Panawa, where stay was 
made for a night. Next day the route lay by Rotte- 
wpwa (a tank restored during "His Excellency's 
administration and which provides for the regu ] ar 
cultivation of nearly 1,000 acrps) to Potuvil, which 
is a large village with a population of over 1 000 
persons, a large portion of whom are Moors, 
enterprising oultivators and traders. Close by is 
Arugam Bay, a very safe anohorsge nearly the whole 
year round, whpre a considerable quant'tv of timber 
chiefly halmilillaia shipped some to Colombo and 
somp to Southern India as well as some paddy 
of which more is produced than can be locally 
consumed. It is proposed to continue the Monara- 
gala Road already completed from Wellawaya to 
Munane, so as to reach the sea at Potuvil where the 
Badulla timber can be shipped to a market at 
Arueam Bay. After this His Excellency made a 
diversion from the Coast Road for the purpose of 
visiting other recently restored tanks at Lahugalla 
and Naula. in the course of which His Excellency 
visited Mapulmaha Viharai, a little known but 
interesting Buddhistical remains where was seen a 
small dagoba with standing in a platform houndpd 
by a wnrkpd stone wall in a capital state of preser- 
vation. There are also other numerous remains 
of stone work in the jungle all round. Mr. Nevill 
is said to have visited the looality, but it is not 
known if he has published any aooount of the ruins. 
AJter.breakfasting at the small village of Panawa, 
His Excellency reached Okanda, 85 miles 
south of Batticaloa, on Saturday evening, where 
Sunday was spent. A visit was paid to 
"Chimney Hill," a well-known landmark on 
this ooast, from the top of which a beautiful 
panoramic view was obtained of the 
country for many miles round — extending from 
Namunakulato the Kataragama hills and the Basses 
Lighthouse. Okanda is the site of a celebrated 
Hindu temple, which is visited annually by a 
considerable number of trilgrims on their way to 
and from Kataragama. The "temple" is a poor 
building and its attractions are restricted to the 
odour of sanctity which tradition has attached 
to it : the only resident is the kurukkal of the 
temple and the ordinary accommodation for the 
travellers was a wretched shed. A suitable camp 
had been provided for the accommodation of His 
Excellency and pa-ty under the shade of some 
fine trees which Btand close to the celebrated 
rock in the fissures of which an ample supply of good 
drinking water is available all the year round, suffi- 
cient for the "resid°nt population," as we'las vi=itors 
in the season. Timber is also shipped here for 
Colombo and Madras, and there is al- 
most an inexhaustible sunply in the " back 
country " in the B»dulla district which only requires 
improved communications to he made readily ac- 
cessible for pxport at this point. Possibly a wooden 
tramway such as has been used in the Malay 
Peninsula would be as cheap a way of securing 
this as any. 
On Monday, the 3rd, Kumariya was reached, 
wherp thprp is a small village of some 50 persons, 
all told, and which is rpallv the only inhabited spot 
between Panawa and Kirinda, a distance of over 60 
mi'es. Here His Excellency met by Mr. Short and 
npxt day left for Pattanai en route to Kirinda, Mr. 
Elliott taking his leave at the Kumbukkanar, the 
boundary of bis Province, 98 miles south of his 
head-quarters at Batticaloa. 
At Tirukkovil the gravel road ends for the 
present, but funds have been provided for extension 
southward of the coast r^ad, and it is hoped that 
during the course of next two years it will be possible 
to drive to Potuvil. Hif Excellency's route was 
consequently south of this along a jungle track 
lying for the most part along the margin of the 
numerous " mukattuvarams," twenty-one of which 
are studded along the coast between Karunkoduttivu 
and Kumbukkanar. These are referred to by 
Tennent as the " Gobbs " which are the special 
feature of the east coast of Ceylon and which add 
to the difficulties of roadmaking in this part of 
the island. They usually form the haunts of in- 
numerable aquatic birds of which however there 
are this year comparatively few, owing it is believed 
to the failure of the monsoon, in consequence of 
whioh these lakes now contain only salt water 
instead of fresh as usual at this season. The 
sporting members of the party, however, under the 
genial guidance of the Uva Agent obtained a fair 
share of amusement and opportunities of seeing 
the larger game in their own homes, though not 
equally successful in obtaining tangible trophies of 
their reminiscenoes. 
♦ 
A HOME IN THE NILGIRIS: COFFEE. 
" D " writes from Coonoor to the Englishman : — 
The on dit is that at last we are to have the 
railway from Mettapolliam to Coonoor. This will 
no doubt be a great boon to the inhabitants, as 
all supplies, in the shape of grain, oilman's stores, 
etc., will be brought up at a less cost than it 
now is, and invalids, delicate ladies, and children, 
will avoid the jolting and discomfort of the 
