The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-31

distance Of sixteen miles. and according to
the chronicles IL would take man four hours
to walk across the city from the rising to the
setting sun. The principal streets are named
by the annalists. md we are told that Moon
street consisted OF 1000 houses. many OF
which we're large. beautiful mansions two
stories high. All the streets were level and
straight, and tho broad carriageway was
sprinkled with eittcring white sand. while
dark eand covered the footpath. The
foot passengers were protected from
contact with the innumerable elephants
and the chariots and carriages. some Of which
were drawn by four horses. As o proof OF the
civilization attained. it is pointed out that
Anuradhapura not only had cunning crafts
men in all manner OF trades. but bestowed
minute care on the sanitation Of the city. Be-
sides a m3ltitussa OF sweepers. there was
corps OF 200 men whose sole duty was tho
removal OF all impurities from the streets;
$50 men were told of to carry the dead to the
cemeteries. which were looked after by
numerous officials. Within the city walls
were halls for music and dancing. temples
OF various religions. and almshousos and
| hospitals for beasts as we'll as men. the former
receiving special share Of attention. One OF
the Kings OF Anuradhapura was noted for his
surgical skill in treating the diseases OF ele-
plants. horses, and snakes. Another set aside
rice to feed the squirrels within his garden.
and third devoted the produce Of a thou
eand fields to provide for the care OF sick ami
mails. At evory corner OF the countless streets
were houses for preaching. that all tho passers-
by might learn the benign wisdom Of Buddha.
| whose temples then as now were daily strewn
| with tho choicest flowers. garlands OF jessa-
mine. fragrant cham pac- blossoms and beauti-
| full white and pink water lilies. On all great
| festivals the streets were spanned by arches
| covered with gold and silver hags. while In the
inches were placed statues holding lamps. or
golden vases. full Of flowers.
Anuradhapura. like its equally great success
sor. Pollonarua. was doomed to be forsaken.
and It's wonderful ruins continued unknown to
foreigners until they wore discovered about
1883 by Lieut.. Skinner. when surveying for
his great work Of road making. With the cx-
ception OF It's stupendous dagobas. or relic
shrines, most OF what remains OF the once
mighty city lies buried beneath from six to
fifteen feet OF soil. waiting for an army OF ex-
cavators to supplement the feeble force now
working for the Government For the space
Of sixteen square miles. however. tho some
what scrubby Jungle is but veil for masses
OF masonry and brickwork. for q wilderness
Of granite pillars. with richly carved capt.
tails. and for flights OF steps. some covered
1000 years ago. they wore trodden by the feet
OF worshippers and merchants. Still moro in
disputabls evidence to the former grandeur Of
tho city Is furnished By tho cyclopean relic
dagobas. OF which there are seven within the
limits Of Anuradhapura itself. besides
others in the neighborhood. Two OF
these are now 240 and 251 feet high.
and had originally q height Of 300 feet
and 405 feet respectively. The former of
these was built in A D. 302 and the latter
in B. G. 10. There is another whose present
height is only 62h feet. and which is known TO
have been begun in b. c. 307. 1t was calcu-
lated by Sir james Emerson Tenant that one
OF these mountains OF brickwork. which is
now but .249 feet high. contains even in its
present condition twenty millions OF cubic feet.
or enough material to form wall one foot
In thickness and two feet high. reaching from
London to Edinburg. In appearance these
dagobas are enormous truncated cones: they
were built up solidIy from very deep founda-
ton until about fifteen feet from the intended
summit. where square relic chamber was
constructed. Through the floor Of this cham
Der projected about four feet the stone pill
lar which had been carried in a per-
feet perpendicular up through the struc-
ture from its base. The projecting end Of this
pillar was overlaid with gold. and it supported
a circular golden tray. on which was laid a |
cnsket containing tho precious relic which
may have been only a hair from O saints eye-
brow. or o revered toenail. but which, In most
cases. was accompanied By treasures of o dif- |
ferent kind that explain the eagerness OF
marauders to reach and pillaee these de- |
postories. All the dagobas at Anuradhapura |
are built OF brick. and in viewing the ruin |
Gus red mounds It requires an effort OF tho |
imagination to picture them as they ap- |
peared when so thickly coated with chunam |
as to resemble hugh domes OF rolished |
cream-colored marble This chunam WINS |
still In use when the oldest European |
bungalows were built but the manu- |
facture OF 1t Is now lost art. though It is |
known to have been q preparation OF lime |
made from burnt oyster shells mixed with the
water OF cocoanuts and glutinous juice of u
fruit called paragaha- As regards. finally. the
multitude OF great columns so-called moon
stones" and the other large monoIiths which
surround the Anuradhapura dagobas. some
were obtained from the masses Of rock very
near the city. which still bear the marks of tho
wedges by which the pillars were split of. while
others were Quarried from beds OF limestone
and granite gneiss In the neighborhood OF a
sacred mountain about eight miles distant.
The stone brought from the last named auurry
was so hard os to defy the ravages Of time and
weather. tho most delicate sculptur details
VI HoHer or iolhHe remaining aa sharp and
perfect as though they had been chiseled yes.
terday In the garden adjoining one OF these
stupendous structures OF Anuradhapura
stands wzened little old stump which is
believed by Buddhists to be the identical
Peepul. or DO tree tFvcus relioiosal which
was planted here In b. @. 288 It was IN
b. @. BOT that the conversion Of Ceylon
to buddhism began. and some yours after
wara the hlng sent an embassy to Behar
tho Buddhist conqueror. Asoku.
t n3 thu ne t1eW 81 on hm a. branch or graft
meath whose shade Buddha was said 10 iiaSo
Az !i absorbed In contemplation for four years.
The request " was granted and the stump still
SGutgrowth Of the branch Or clipping brought
4 home ~ the Ceylonese Ambassador. The inct
thnt the Peepul Is held In vencration Nv
H las o; Of al sects would account FOR the
b b. honored by the conquerors who in diIer.
n the chronicles Of tho successive rulors thar
ley to tho 30 tree Is duly recorded
I Rstfa a,Sasp g, ,Sa # VIII known that
shaped. with q long ribbon like point' ana thnt