156 Tamhiegam to Trincomalee. 
this village is a great tank or pond, occupying a space of nearly 
twenty miles in circumference. It was originally formed 
for the religious ceremonies of purification, and is similar to 
those found on the Coromandel coast and other places of the 
continent of India. It must have been constructed at a very 
early period ; and the expence and labour required for such 
an undertaking must have been prodigious. None of the na- 
tives of Ceylon can give any account of its origin. It had been 
originally wailed round, and its bottom laid with flags ; but 
great part of it has suffered extremely from time, and it is 
now much out of repair. Governor North had some thoughts 
of repairing part of it, but the estimated expence was too 
great. This tank, or rather lake, the only artificial one now 
found in Ceylon, was evidently the workmanship of a different 
religious sect from the present Ceylonese, who prefer bathing 
in running water. Numbers, however, resort to this hallowed 
lake to wash away their sins, and devote a portion of their 
time to other religious ceremonies. 
We are now again returned to Trincomalee after having made 
a tour of the island, and noticed every place that appears wor- 
thy of remark in the European dominions. It appears from 
this survey, that the internal wealth, as well as the population 
of these possessions, lies on the west and south-west coasts ; 
while that secure station for shipping, which renders Ceylon of 
so much importance to our other East Indian dominions, lies, ^ 
at the opposite side, and the most barren quarter of the isl- 
and. The present state of the roads is such as almost en- 
tirely to preclude all intercourse by land between the opposite 
sides of the island, which are thus prevented from imparting^ 
their advantages to each other. In time, however, these defects 
