October i, 1888.I TH FI TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
2 45 
on the banks of the Kaluganga, we tlieve rented 
during the heat of the forenoon, and then pro- 
ceeded by a rooky path, through several email but 
prettily situated villages, to Narrangamma, This 
is a large village; and from its proximity to- the 
mountains, as well as its elevation above the sea, 
combines tho advantages of a pleasant climate and 
picturesque situation. Amidst its bright green 
rice fields several masses of rock were surmounted 
by watch huts ; around the margin of the culti- 
vated uuds a Lw of the houses might be distin- 
guished ; and the presence of the coconut trees 
showed the position of the remainder of the vil- 
lage soattered near the base ot Lakagalla. In the 
morning we commenced ascending the mountain, 
and, after passing the cool clear stream which 
flows from it, entered a small level plain covered 
with rick blaok mould. This place preserves the 
name of Uyangamma-tenna-wewa (lake of the gar- 
den-Hat) : and here the growth of underwood is 
prevented by the thick shade of forest trees, and by 
the oiroums anoe of the ground being occasionally 
inundated. Into this rook-encircled basin huge 
masses of stone, which occasionally detach them- 
selves from the Matale peak, plunge with a tre- 
mmdous crash ; and the natives believe such occur- 
if! oee are the forerunners of domestic troubles in 
the country. Under this impression, the descent of 
one of these crags, and even the distance to which 
the sound of its fall extended, were cflicially com- 
municated to me by the principal native in the dis- 
trict. From various names of neighbouring placeB, 
and :i r other reasons, I believe the Yakka town of 
Lankapoora* was situated around this mountain ; 
and this circumstance, conjoined with still more 
ancient linditions, has obtained from native super- 
stition a belief that its formation was miraculous, 
and that the sounds of its falling rocks are mys- 
terious prognostics of public misfortune. If the 
narrow gap through which we entered into the 
Uynngammatenna were filled up, even to the height 
it (our feet, the peaks of Lakagalla might again be 
reflected in its embosomed lake. 
"In ascending, we found several springs of the 
purest water; and breakfasted, at an elevation of 
three thousand' three hundred feet above the sea, 
on a *pot from which we saw into the valley of 
Meiniuinra on ono side, and on the other our 
view extended over the districts through which 
we had passed to the plains on the north and east 
of the Kandian territory. Through these levels 
we could discern the course and occasionally saw 
tho silver light of the Mahaweli ganga, where it 
llowid near the isolated mountain of Dimbulu- 
gala in tho direction of Trinkomalee. Tho upper 
part of Lakagala is covered with coarse grass, which 
spreads in patches over the moist mass of solid rock 
that forms tho summits of the mountains ; trees 
and thickets occupy the sheltered ravines ; and, 
near its base, the nelu formsa dark disagreeable jungle. 
" My guide this day was an old Kapua, who said 
tho was a priest and worshipper of tho Ganga Ban- 
dera (river prince) : from his rocitation I obtained 
8ouio verses, which he repeated to prove that the 
very spot where 1 stood was hallowed by legends 
of tho olden limo : 
( Trtin.ilation.) 
through the vale of Mecmoorrn \ while sweeps tin- wild 
storrn, 
* Although in tho Pali account of tho Yakkaa it is 
called I Aiikiipoura, tho Klu (Sinhalese) history men- 
tions Lag gal*. 
t Mcemonrni is a deep narrow valley beyen I I.aloi- 
galln ; nml in the mountains which forms tl. uppo*i|e 
side is u nitre cave, tbc most productive in tin Kandyan 
country, allli >n*h the <|itantity it yioldid was so tru- 
ing Ihut it in not now worth working. 
Tho red thunderbolts glparu shows Lak'galla's rude form. 
Hallow'd region of spirits ! * when tempests rush h>y, 
Frowning o'er their dark course, thy scathed peak'sf 
shoot ou high. 
Here stern Pvawan was vanquish'd, and in that dread 
hour, 
Lakagalla was rent by the conqueror's power ; 
It was Rama's keen shall cleft the mountain iu twain. 
And Lak'galla's bright lake made a desolate plain. 
"The malignant Bpirit called Ganga Bandera, Oya 
Bandera, Oya Yakka, { &c. is properly an object 
of terror, not of wort-hip ; and under very many 
different appellations the identity is easily perceived: 
he is the representative or personification of those 
severe fevers to which, from some occult causes, 
tho banks of all Ceylon rivers are peculiarly liable. 
The manner of making offerings to the Ganga 
Bandera is by forming a miniature double canoe, 
ornamented with coconut leaves so as to form a 
kanopy : under this are placed betel, rice, flowers, 
and such like articles of small value to the donor, 
as he flatters himself may be acceptable to the 
liend, and induce him to spare those who acknow- 
ledged his power. After performing certain cere- 
monies, this propitiatory float is launched upon the 
nearest river : in a sickly season I have seen many 
of these delicate arks whirling down the streams, 
or aground on tho sandbanks and fords of the 
Ambanganga. The ceremony with which the ashes 
of Cingalese Kings were consigned to supposed 
annihilation in the waters of the Mahawelli-ganga 
seems to have been derived from these rites; and 
was admirably adapted to perpetuate the feelings 
of mystery and awe which it was the policy of 
Ceylon monarchs to maintain when alive, and after 
death to transmit to their successors. 
"In the legends regarding Lakagalla, we pass from 
the era of Eamachandra, and the wars ofRawuna, to 
the time of Vijeya, a Hindu conqueror, who landed 
B.C. 543, and afterwards established his power over 
the various tribes which then occupied the country. 
It was at the marriage festivities of a chief of 
Lakagalla that Vijeya surprised and massacred a 
multitude of Yakkas, and thus secured that 
ascendency in Lanka which enabled him to found 
a dynasty whose patronymic became the name of 
the island, and, after enduring through twenty- 
three centuries, only fell before the Br.tish power 
in a.d. 1815, when the last of one hundred and 
sixty-five Sinhalese kings passed from the Kan- 
dian throne to a British prison. 
" From Matale to Narrangamma, by the way we 
had come, was nearly double the distance of a 
jungle-path leading over the range of mountains 
which we had doubled by passing round its ex- 
tremity at the Ambanganga. 1 had directed a 
largo body of people to make this short line pass- 
able for a horse, and to clear the junglo on each 
side; as afterwards, by this route, the inhabitants 
of Lagalla might reach tho court-house in half the 
timo that the journey now occupied. Departing 
for Puackpitia, wo passed at a considerable eleva- 
tion across successive ridges of hills, in mort places 
free of jungle: tho higher parts of ttiese open 
grounds were covered with illuk and common 
lemon-grass, herbage too coarse for the pasture of 
uny animals except buffaloes, but useful for thatch- 
ing houses or forming temporary huts. 
* Home legends say it whs the birth-place, a' '.vast 
a chosen haunt, of Kartikeya ( Mars.^ 
f From one side Lakgulla shews three peaks one 
ot them is so sharp, point -d, and narrow, as to res, m- 
hle a steeple ol surpassing height ; all of them nro of 
solid rock : 
I The river king, prince, or <l. vil, 'he ws-hcrman's 
fiend, the water-fiend, are loniu of the mums givi u o 
tho visible signs ot aickutss that sometimes Lviiluw the 
course ot ruuuiug water iu Cvyluu. 
