Evening journal., 1897-06-30
rExLon CITES tone nuRIgp
Luxurfant Foreign Growtha Cover
cites where They once stood.

Luxurfant Foreign GroWtha Cover
SItes where They Once stood.
1t may still be counted among things
not generally known that in the lux
uriant forests of Ceylon the ruins of
cities are concealed not inferior in
holiness Of conception and richness OF
design to any in the world. They lie
In the northern half of the island, al
most buried among vegetation. and in 4
some cases still difficult of access. They
were visited and described by Sir Emer'
son Tennant in his classic work on
Ceylon. in which also several small
illustrations were published. and from
time to time they have received notice
from other travellers. but now many OF
the most remarkable ruins are accur-
ately depicted in the reproductions OF
photographs which adorn II. w. Caves
new volume on the Ruined Cities OF
Ceylon." They have been smitten in by
gone ages by the fury of conquerors;
they have suffered yet more severely
from the hand of time. Trees have
taken root on walls and roofs and have
wrenched them asunder; the rank for
est vegetation has buried ornamental
carvings and sculptured figures. Yet
what remains is wonderful, and what
would reward excavation may easily be
inferred.
The ruins belong to very varied dates,
some going back to well before the
Christian era. others to three or four
centuries after it. while one very beau
I tiful and extensive group belongs main
ly, if not wholly, to Il comparatively
late period in Singhalese prosperity,
| the middle of the twelfth century.
Their connection with Buddhism is
very close, the most conspicuous re-
mains at the present time being com
monty temples. monasteries and daga-
bas-huge. dome-lilxe structures, which
in magnitude are not unworthy rivals
Of the pyramids of Egypt.
One of the most remarkable of the
groups of ruins is Nlihintale, the noun
tain city. a rocky mass rises abruptly
from the plain to a height Of 1000 feet
The slopes are now covered with dense
forest from the base almost to the top
except on the space where a gigantic
stairway of granite slabs leads up tC
E the summit This might well be tal1er
for part of the natural hill; in reality
I il is a huge ruined edifice, the remnant
4 of n dagaba. in the construction o.
? which millions OF bricks have been EN-
ployed. Near it are other dagabas o.
! great size, and. beside these, roclS-cu
a chambers and many other remains o
the ancient monastery. The city is as
\ sociated with sacred memories in thi
I history of Ceylon. Here it was that tn
: nation, in the third century befor'
Christ, adopted Buddhism. Gotam'
. himself is said to have visited the island
I, the inhabitants of which were thel
l. snake worshipers, and to have con
verted the king. On a second visit h
left his footprint on the rock as h
rose into the air from the summit o
Adams peak. But this sign is apprc
priated. as is well known, by the lo
lowers of different creeds TO divers
personages. The Mohammedans al
)I tribute it to Adam. the Portuguese
" Christians were divided in opinion q
to whether it had been left by st. Thon
e. as or bv the eunuch of Candace, quee
is of the Ethiopians. Indeed, some cri
les 60 so far as to doubt whether Bu'
s. dha ever visited Ceylon at all, wha
ever may be the origin of the footprin
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