THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
133 
the woods here as well as in the neighbourhood of Jafha- 
patam. 
Owing to these circumstances, Batacolo has little or no 
connexion with the south and west parts of the island ; and 
is indeed, in every view, a place of small importance. Its 
harbour only admits of small craft; and the place itself con- 
sists of a trifling fort occupied by a subaltern, and a small 
detachment from the garrison of Trincomalee, with a village 
where a few Dutch families reside. The surrounding country 
is very romantic ; and the view of the island from the sea off 
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 Flood, the Elephant, the Pagoda 
rock, are all well known. 
We are now again returned to Trincomalee after having 
made a tour of the island, and noticed every place that ap- 
pears worthy of remark in the European dominions. It ap- 
pears 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 
v 
Indian dominions, lies at the opposite side, and the most barren 
quarter of the island. The present state of the roads is such, 
as almost entirely 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, 
