( 14 ) 
times was represented in the coat-of-arnih, 
as against the cross and date. The Bishop 
suggested that it was possible a clever work- 
man might have worked at tlie coat-of-arnLs 
and an interior one at the date, and that fur- 
ther investigation sliould be directed to com- 
paring other Portuguese figures of that paili- 
cular era with those on this boulder and noting 
whether they were shaped in the same way. 
A vote of thanks to the Bishop ft)r pre- 
siding was moved l)y Mr. Fkhguron, who 
passed a higli eulogium on the invaluable 
services Dr. Copleston had rendered to the 
local Society as President, and that as it 
was impossible to make bricks without straw, 
it i-ested with the memljers to hand in 
more, and interesting, papers, in Older t<J find 
materials for an annual review or address. 
(Carried with acclamation). 
The Bishop, in acknowledging, mentioned 
that the Secretaries had had a munber of 
Papei's lately sent to them, so tliat there 
was material in hand for one or two inter- 
esting meetings. 
ANNUAL REPORT. 
The Report mentions some five Pajiers read 
during the year ; gives the names of 11 new 
members ; of six members resigned ; and of 
five whose names have been removed from 
the roll ; Mr. H. C. P. Bell has been elected 
an honorary member; three have become 
life members. The roll now includes 190 
members, inclu'ding 20 life and 10 honorary 
members. The Council record with regi'et 
the deaths of Messrs. Brenmer, Lewis Brown, 
Dr. Pinto, J. Perera and J. Lemphers. The 
Library had 309 volumes added during the 
year. The Archseological Commissioner is 
to continue his annual brief summary of the 
work done for the Journal of the Society, 
The accounts shew a balance of Rl,4:18'14: in 
liand. We quote as follows ;— 
The Council dearire to once more draw the attention 
of the Government regarding inadequate accommoda- 
tion. Additional room is urgently required and the 
necessity for the enlargement of the building (more 
especially as regards the Library) has been strongly 
represented to Government by the Museum Commit- 
tee. The iusuf&ioency for book room has exisisted for 
some years now and attention has been called to this 
fact and the Government has admitted the need. The 
difficulty of finding room for the current accessions 
to the Library become daily greater. A confident 
expectation is entertained that the long deferred 
Museum Extension will be shortly undertaken which 
will alone meet the emergency and relieve the con- 
gestion apparent everywhere in the Library. 
The Council regret that this number will not con- 
tain the continuation of the Aichseological Commis- 
sioner's Interim Beports on Sigiriya, which have 
formed so interesting a feature in the recent numbers 
of the Journal. This has been deferred by the Com- 
missioner 80 as to include in it an account of his 
final operations, which are being carried on daring the 
present year. 
The study of the Archaeology of Oeylolon is one of 
the most important of the objects of this Society and 
it was mainly due to the activity of this Society 
that the Government of Ceylon decided to prosecute 
Archaeological research systematically by appointing 
an Archaeological Commissioner. A brief annual 
summary of the work kindly furnished by the Com- 
missioner has for some years formed an important 
feature in the Society's Annual Report. The Com- 
missioner has now been called upon to furnish the 
Government wiih an annup.1 Administration Report. 
We are glad, however, to state that this will not pre- 
vant him from furuiahing the Society with the usual 
ftDuaal summary, the publication of which in oar 
■loarnal gives some infjrmation with regard to the 
progress of the Commissioner's work lo mtiny reader* 
who would be unlikely to see the Admioistratioo 
Report. 
AnCH.COLOOV 
The following is the nummary famished by tb« 
Arcba3ological Commiijeioner of the work done dur- 
ing the year ISSB: — 
The Archaeological Comtulsiaouer fivoars the Coon- 
cil with the following synopsis of work done by the 
Archaeological Survey during 1898. 
Anchadhapuba. — Coiiipanitively little progress was 
made at Anuradhapura last year, owin;; to the absence 
of the Archaeological Cummistiiotier, and bid labour- 
force, at Sigiriya for seven months. ExcavatioDs 
were continued between Ruanveli and Thuparama, 
and at the Elala Sohona " mound. Oit the Y road, 
a solitary . rain of brick and mortar wm du^. It 
proves to be an ancient Tamil kovil. 
SioiBiYA. — The usual season of four niontfas wa» 
prolonged to August, in order to virtually close the 
operations of the Archa;ological Survey at Sigiriya. 
The iiialuoa, or uppermost terrace, at the foot of 
the pre:)eot ladders on the north of the rock, was 
thoroughly - laid bare — disclosing the clan:/ of the 
once colossal brick and stucco lion, throagh whose 
jaws and body the covered stair-csLse iiiiseeni'flithani) 
was carried upwards to the summit. The Uahatianto 
explanation of the na.me Siliagirt or ''Lion-reck," is 
thus fully justified.* To the west of the rock, the 
terraces lyinc betweon the Northern and Southern 
Btaircases leaJiug to the gallery, were very completely 
excavated as well as the caves beneath the boulders 
scattered round the ■' Audience Hall rock." 
The floor, and inner wall, of the unique gallery 
itself have been strongly repaired, to secure them, as 
far as practicable, agamst farther wear ; and the South 
stairs — the only possible approach now-a-days — par- 
tially rebuilt for greater security. 
The Government has decided to conservo the whole 
area formerly covered by the aacivat Sigiri-Muioara ; 
and the jungle will be kept down annaaliy. 
ciEcurr. 
No regalar circuit work was attempted in 1898- 
Clearing of .Jungle at Ancbadhapuea. — The Gov- 
ernment, recognising the importance of further open- 
ing out the jungle-round ruins of Anuradhapura, 
sanctioned in 1898, an extra vote of R2,000 for the pur- 
pose- With this sum, and a moiety of the annual 
grant, the Archaeological Commissioner was enabled to 
clear, and burn, 500 acres and upwards of jungle 
outside the town. A similar vote has been allowed 
for the current year. 
Re OKGAXISAXIO.N of the AUCaEOLOGICAL SCBVBV. — 
Upon the recommendations of a Commission ap- 
poinCed by His Excellency the Governor which have 
been approved, the Archaeological Survey will be 
materially strengthened from 1899. 
A Labour Assistant has, at length, been given to 
the Commissioner, relieving him of most of the out- 
door and mechanical work which has hitherto unduly 
taxed his time for research, and delayed the publica- 
tion of Progress Reports. 
In addition, Messrs, D. M. De Z. Wickramasinghe 
and B. Gunesekara, Mudaliyar have been appointed to 
assist Mr. Bell in the Epigraphical branch of the 
Survey, A commencement is to be made at once 
with the long-contemplated " Epigraphia Zeylanica," 
or standard work of reference on the ancient lithic 
record of the Island. 
THE COLOMBO MUSEUM. 
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR FOR 1898. 
NuMBEE OF VISITORS. — The number of visitors for 
the year amounted to 111,190. 
Condition of the building. — In my last report I 
stated that the building required re-plainting; it na- 
turally requires it now still more, and the woodwork 
is getting into a very bad state. 
* Mahawanso, XXXIX, 3.. 
