23d 
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
the inhabitants are allowed to appear before their houses, 
or the paths on a level with them, as that would be at- 
tended with the heinous indecorum of placing a subject 
higher than the prince descended of the sun. 
At the upper end of this street, stands the palace, a 
poor mansion for the abode of a king. It is surrounded 
with high stone Avails, and consists of tAvo squares, one 
within the other. In the inner of these are the royal 
apartments, and it is there that the court is held and 
audiences given. The exterior of the palace and the rest 
of the city could be but very partially observed by those 
who attended General Macdowal, oAving to the pressure of 
the crowd, and the dazzling geare of the torches. By every 
account indeed Avhicli I have heard. Candy contains nothing 
Avorthy of notice, and from the Avant of either wealth or in- 
dustry among the inhabitants it is not indeed to be expected 
that any thing could be met with in this straggling village 
to attract the attention of the traveller. 
The next city in point of importance to Candy is Digliggy 
Neur, Avhich lies to the eastward of the capital about ten 
or tAvelve miles, and in the direction of our fort of 
Batacolo. The district around Digliggy Neur is still more 
wild, barren, and impenetrable than that which surrounds 
Candy. It is on this very account that it has been chosen 
at times as a royal residence : at one period when the 
king was driven out of Candy, and his capital burnt, he 
found here a retreat to which no European army has eA 7 en 
