Batacolo. 
155 
use of the top stone ever properly explained to the visitors. 
It is too heavy to be easily removed. On narrowly investigate 
ing these remains of antiquity, and comparing them, with the 
religion and works made in the present and last centuries by 
the Ceylonese, they do not appear to belong originally to the 
present inhabitants of Ceylon, but altogether correspond with 
the opinions and workmanship of the Hindoos. Cinglese tem- 
ples appear to have been erected at a much later period on 
the scites of those originally constructed by the Hindoos. 
Owino' to the circumstances which I have mentioned, Bata- 
colo has little or no connexion with the south and west parts 
of the island ; and is indeed, in every point of view, a place of 
small importance. Its harbour admits only of small craft ; and 
the place itself consists of a trifling fort occupied by a subal- 
tern, and a small detachment from the garrison of Trincomalee, 
' with a village where a few Dutch families reside. The fort 
lies on a small island within the mouth of a river which runs 
into the sea ; it is capable of being made sufliciently strong to 
resist the native powers, but is at present almost in ruins. The 
surrounding country is very romantic; and a view of the island 
from the sea ofi' Batacolo is particularly striking. The shore 
is uncommonly bold; and many of the immense rocks which 
rise on it have attracted notice, and acquired names from the 
grotesque figures they represent. The Friar’s Hood, the Ele- 
phant, the Pagoda rock, are all well known. 
About twenty-five miles from Trincomalee on the opposite 
side of the harbour, where Cottiar is situated, on the way to- 
wards the Candian country, stands the village of Tamblegam, 
containing the ruins of some old pagodas, one or two of which 
are still employed by the natives as places of worship. Near 
X 2 
