LITEJ?ARy REGISTER SUPPLEMENT: 
AND CEYLON 
NOTES AND QUERIES." 
fUnc'er thia heading, in fatnre, we mean to give a small "Sapplement" with oui Tropical Agriculturist 
from quarter to quarter, according as there is matter of sufficient value so to be preserved.] 
THE ALLEGED POLLUTION OF THE 
COLOMBO LAKE. 
THE OLD LAKE AND THE NEW. 
PLANT AND BIRD LIFE— THE LAKE FLY AND FISH. 
(Communicated,) 
A perusal of the report on the condition of the 
Colombo Lake, recently published, would lead one 
to the belief that the state of things is very deplor- 
able. It is true that the lake is polluted with 
sewage, but the conditions which now exist are 
nt)t so bad as represented. In his report the 
Municipal Engineer draws the following 
conclusions : — 
1879. A pure lake in which many water plants 
could thrive. 
1891. A polluted lake in which only one sewage 
feeding water plant " Hydrilla" could hold its own. 
1901. A cess pool, wherein plant life degenerated 
to the speciea " algae," which alone could live UDder 
the conditions of sewage contamination. 
If the lake in a particular month of 190x was 
so polluted it must be worse now at the same 
time of the year ; but how is it that hundreds of 
natives bathe in it daily without any ill effect'-? 
They bathe near the Kacquet Court, near the 
Masonic Temple, at Hunupitiya Lake Koad, 
Wekande (two places), and off the Kille Green — 
places where the impurity, or otherwise, of the 
water must vary considerably. There are no figures 
to show the public that the water of the lake is 
now verj- much worse than before — no records 
of analyses of water made 30, 20, 10 and 5 
years ago to compare with the analy.ses recently 
made. The theory that the lake is a "cess pool" 
is evolved from the 'assumption of the disappear- 
ance of aquatic plants and the degeneration ot 
plant life to the species algae, etc., etc. One 
has not got to go far to find out the cause of 
the disappearance of plant life in the lake. It 
is the result of tlie ruthless removal of every- 
thing found growing in it. The Municipal coolie.«, 
who constantly hover round the lake with pitch- 
fork and hook, drag out any unfortunate plant 
that makes its appearance. This work of exter- 
mination is carried on through a mistaken idea 
that good is being done. The assumption that 
the many water plants, which flourished in 1879, 
disappeared owing to water pollution is entirely 
wrong. Their disappearance was effected throuoih 
human agency. 
THE OLD LAKE PLANTS. 
In this connection it is interesting to note the 
gradual changes that have been brought about in 
tiie condition of the lake within the last thirty 
yea's. Thirty years ago we liud the same main 
basin with its different embouchures in the 
direction of Captain's Garden, Slave Island, 
Kollupitiya, etc , etc., in which places the water 
was as muddy as it now is. Then the great 
sheet of water was covered iu many places 
with the beautiful water lily {Nymphcea lotus). 
Its pretty dark-green leaves with pliant 
stalks, spread out on the water— quite different 
from the coarse Nelumbium which grew 
in the lotus pond — and the pink and white 
fragrant flowers bloomed all through the yeai. 
In the shallow water, by the edge of the banks, 
at the promontory-like end of Captain's Garden, 
and on Dhoby Island, tall reeds, a species of 
Cypcraceo}, sprung up, standing from three to 
four feet high. The lilies spread in all directions 
— towards the Pettah, the Fore, Slave Island, 
Barley road, and Galle Face, but showed a very 
luxuriant growth off' the bank where the Pettah 
railway station now stands. At that spot the 
St. John's Canal connected with the lake, and, 
passing through Kayman's Gate, entered the sea 
at Bankshall, ott St. John's warehouse. Another 
canal, which ran through the Fort into the sea 
near the present passenger Jetty, was connected 
with the lake near the Fort railway station. 
Along the banks of the lake, between Maradana 
and the Fort, masses of the " ^^'ater lettuce " 
[Pistia stratiote^) floated en the surface, pre- 
senting the appearance of a tine green bank, and 
the plants were carried hither and thither by wind 
and current, and, lodging in nooks and corners, 
multiplied. Beside these various reeds and sedges 
grew luxuriantly on the banks 
LIFE IN THE LAKE. 
The conditions of life in the lake were also then 
totally different from what they are now. Its 
waters then teemed with fish. Fisliing was carried 
on then, but not to such an extent as at present. 
Tlie lilies, reeds, and other water plants did nob 
permit the free use of nets. Aquatic birds, too, 
were in plenty. Walking about on the leaves 
of the lilies were to be seen tlie pretty little black 
and white bittern (Ardetta sinensis). The 
calling of waterfowls was heaid in every direction. 
