manifested, in the establishment of schools, the erection of ambalamas, the making of roads, and in every kind of improvement that conduced to the welfare of his countrymen. The Wesleyans and the Roman Catholics form a large and influential section of the population here, and possess spacious places of worship, and well attended schools.

Next to Moratuwa lies the village of Ratmalana, formerly as its name imports, "a forest of red flowers," but now famous for its extensive cinnamon cultivation; and for its pansala or monastery, where a college of priests is assembled under the presidency of Hikkaduwe Samangala, the Chief priest of Adam's Peak, elected to that office in 1866, because, in the opinion of his brethren-an opinion shared by all the literati of Ceylon-"his reputation for piety and scholarship stands super-eminent among the priesthood of the Malwatta establishments of the Island of Ceylon."* The pansala is

* There are two sects of Buddhist priests in Ceylon, the Siamese and the Amarapura; the former has two establishments, the Malwatte, and the Asgiriya. Of these, the latter establishment is the more ancient, and was originally located in a dell on Asgiriya, "the horse rock," a hill in the outskirts of the town of Kandy. The former was established by King Kirti Srí, on the re-establishment, or resuscitation of Buddhism which took place in his reign. It was placed under the charge of the Sangha Raja, Weliwița, Chief-priest of Adam's Peak, at Mal-watta, "the flower garden,"-a place bordering the Kandy lake, given by the king to be prepared as a residence for the priests from Siam, upon their arrival in Ceylon; and the privilege was conferred upon it of taking precedence over the Asgiriya establishment. Its members were supposed to be more subservient to the royal will; but the doctrines and practices of both are precisely the same. The

We

pleasantly situated about half a mile to the east of the road, surrounded by groves of fruit bearing and other trees. paid our respects to the learned Chief-priest on our return from the pilgrimage. He was agreeably surprised to learn that we had succeeded in reaching the Samanala, as the reports he had received about the weather, and the state of the roads, had led him to believe that we would be forced to return without accomplishing the object of our journey.

A few miles further on, on the western side of the road, is Mount Lavinia, a rocky headland projecting into the sea, on which is situated what Sir Emerson Tennent describes as "the remains of what was once the marine palace of the Governors of Ceylon; an edifice in every way worthy of the great man by whom it was erected-Sir Edward Barnes."

Amarapura sect was established about the year 1808, by a priest named Ambagahapitiya, who, with eight others, obtained the Upasampada orders from the Sangha Raja of Amarapura at Burmah. The two sects are distinguished from each other by a slight difference in dress and personal appearance. The Siamese priests leave their right shoulders uncovered by their robes, and shave their eyebrows; those of Amarapura cover both shoulders with their robes, and leave their eyebrows in their natural state. The Amarapura sect has prospered principally in the Maritime provinces of the Island, where, since their establishment, their numbers have increased until they are about equal to those of the Siamese fraternity, which word is perhaps the better distinguishing term, since their differences are not doctrinal but merely ritual. They have a few members in Sabaragamuwa and U'va; but there, and in all the other Kandian districts, the priesthood of the Siamese ordination form a preponderating majority.

After being dismantled by orders from the home government, then undergoing a "paroxysm of economy," it underwent a variety of changes, and was bought and sold, again and again, until a speculative purchaser ventured to repair it throughout, for the purpose of converting it into a private boarding-house. It did not, however, remain long in his hands; and being once more put up for sale, has now become the property of a company, who let out its apartments to invalids and others desirous of recruiting their health, or of enjoying the sea-breezes more fully than is possible elsewhere, for many miles along the coast. And for both these purposes, as well as for pic-nic parties from Colombo, it is most admirably adapted. A cool airy barrack, officers' quarters, and the rifle butts of the European regiment stationed in Ceylon, adjoin Mount Lavinia.

Mount Attidiya, a residence nearly opposite, but a little distance inland, once as famed for the beauty of its grounds as for the hospitality of its owner-a gentleman then high up in the Ceylon Civil Service-is now an abandoned ruin.

At Galkissa, the village next passed through," the traveller has the opportunity of seeing a temple which may serve as an example of modern Buddhist buildings of this class in Ceylon. It is situated on a gentle eminence close. by the high road, surrounded by groves of iron-wood,

* The name is derived from the words Gal-kessa, "stone-key”; 'kessa,' being an old and obsolete term for key. There is a legend that an important key was hidden here in ancient times.