61 
of Cetflon. 
Sittivacca in the interior, a distance of thirty-five miles ; for 
\vhile we marched along the beautiful banks, our ammunition 
and stores were commodiously transported on the river in boats. 
Besides the rivers with which Ceylon abounds, there are many 
lakes and canals communicating with them, particularly in the 
neighbourhood of Coluinbo and Nigumbo. They are often of 
considerable extent, and of very great utility to the inhabitants 
in their neighbourhood, who have thus an opportunity of readily 
transporting their several articles of trade ; and it is by this 
means also that the towns on the coast are supplied with the 
greatest abundance of fresh- water fish. 
The internal communications by land through the island have 
scarcely passed the first stage of improvement. Along the sea- 
coasts indeed there are roads and stations for travellers ; but 
these roads are in many places rugged and steep, with large 
tracts of heavy sand ; and are besides not only dithcult but 
dangerous from the numbers of wild hogs, buffaloes, and ele- 
phants, which infest them. These animals are met particularly 
from Chilou to Manaar on the west side of the island, and 
from Matura to Batacolo on the east : in these roads they some- 
times occasion accidents. 
Since the island has come into the possession of the English, 
the roads have been greatly improved. Governor North ordered 
a general survey of them to be made, and the distances to be 
ascertained, previous to adopting measures for facilitating the 
communications. I have been favoured by colonel Champagne 
with a chart of the distances around the whole coast of the 
island, surveyed in 1800 by W. Bartalocci, post-master of the 
island, and with his obliging permission I have annexed a copy 
