Evening journal., 1897-06-19
cEYLoN oIrIEs LoNe euRIgp.
Luxuriant Foreign GrOwths Cover
SItes Where They Once stood.

Luxuriant Foreign GrOwths 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 10 any in the world. They lie
In the northern half Of the island, al
most buried among vegetation, and in
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 hnve
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 10 we'll before the
Christian era, others to three or four
centuries after il. while one very beau
tiful and extensive group belongs main
ly, If not wholly, to n comparatively
late period in Singhalese prosperity,
the middle OF the twelfth century.
Their connection with buddhism Is
very close, the most conspicuous. re-
mains Mt the present time being com
monty temples, monasteries and daga-
bas-huge, dome-like structures, which
in magnitude are not unworthy rivals
of the pyramids Of Egypt.
One Of the most remarkable OF the
groups Of ruins Is Mihintale, the noun
tain city. a rocky mass rises abruptly
from the plain to a height Of 1000 feet.
The slopcs 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 to
the summit. This might well be taken
for part of the natural hill; in reality
IL is a huge ruined edifice, the remnant
Of dagaba. in the construction OF
which millions Of bricks have been EN-
ployed. Near it are other dagabas oi
great size, and, beside these, rOclS-cui
chambers and many other remains oi
the ancient monastery. The city is as
sociated with sacred memories In the
history of Ceylon. Here it was that th'
mutton. in the third century befor'
Christ, adopted buddhism. Gotams
himself Is said to have visited the island
the inhabitants of which were theI
snake worshipers, and to have con
verted the king. On a second visit h
leftohis footprint on the rock as h
rose into the air from the summit o
Adams peak. But this sign is appro
priated, as is well known, by the fol
lowers of different creeds TO Divers
personages. The Mohammeaans- at
tribute it TO Adam, the Portuguese
Christians were divided in opinion a
to whether it had been left by st. Thon
as or by the eunuch of Candace, quee
of the Philippians. Indeed, some crit
les go so far as to doubt whether Bnc
lha ever visited Ceylon at all, what
ever may be the origin of the footprint
London Standard. %