Description of the Country around Columho. 147 
boats to the sea. The eminence on which the fort is situated 
overhangs the river, and commands an extensive and most pic- 
turesque prospect. 
The fort, from its situation, is capable of being rendered a 
very strong post : it has however been much neglected, and is 
at present greatly out of repair. The command of it is given 
to a subaltern wdio is stationed here for the purpose of over- 
awing the native Cinglese, and enforcing obedience to their 
Moodeliers or magistrates, as well as to keep up and protect 
the communication between Coiumbo and Point de Gaile. The 
commanding officer presides in the court of justice, and deter- 
mines all disputes among the peasants. The sea, the esplanade, 
and the village on the outside of the fort, as weli as the 
beautiful surrounding country, render Caltura a truly delightful 
scene. Some tracts of cinnamon are scattered up and down 
here ; and it is not till a short way farther south, that we come 
to the termination of that fertile district of Coiumbo, v/hich 
contains so great a proportion of the wealth of Ceylon. 
Whilst at Caltura, I went wdth a party of officers about 
twelve miles into the country, to a place called Bomba, for the 
purpose of shooting and visiting some temples. We were at- 
tended by some Moodeliers and other natives, and taking boat 
at Caltura, w'^ent about two miles up the broad river Calagonga, 
which takes its source from Adam’s Peak. We then turned to 
the left and proceeded up a narrow though deep river like a 
canal, thickly lined to the edge with jungle. About ten miles 
from Caltura w^e came to a temple of Buddou, built on a fiat 
space, cut out of a small hill. It was a small square building 
of brick, wdth a sloping tiled roof and a gallery surrounding it. 
There was an apartment where the image lay reclining on ids 
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