2.52 Dominions of Candy, 
of several other towns are found in various parts of the conn—’ 
try. On the road from Candy to Trincomalee stood the town 
of Aletty Neur, where the King kept stores of grain and other 
provisions. This how'evei% as well as many other tov/ns, was 
burnt to the ground by the Portuguese ; and notliing is now 
left but the remains of some temples and pagodas to testify 
that such places ever were in existence. 
The ruins of some towns, which appear to have been both 
larger and better built than those hitherto described, prove 
that the kingdom of the Candians was once in a more flourish- 
ing condition, and gradually tending by the natural course of 
things to civilization and opulence, when the invasion of Euro- 
peans deprived them of all those means by which they could 
have access to foreign nations, and an opportunity of importing 
either arts or manners into their own. In the northern part of 
the kingdom lies the province of Noure Calava, where the 
ruins of the once famous and splendid city of Anurodgburro 
are still discovered. It stands almost at the northern extremity 
of the Candian dominions, and borders on the province of 
Jafnapatam. In former ages this was the residence of the 
Kings of Ceylon ; and has long been the place of their burial. 
Traditions still exist among the Ceylonese, handed down by 
the priests and confirmed by antient Arabic engravings, that a 
long race of Kings reigned at this place ; the succession being 
regularly kept up for ninety generations in the same family, 
from» the time of the flood. They are said to have all lived to 
a very great age like the patriarchs of old. After their death 
they are supposed to have been carried up to heaven, and to 
be since employed as tutelar deities to the inhabitants of the 
island. M piilan of stone was erected, to each of these Kings,. 
