Saranankara Unnánsé of Weliwița his Foot-print on the summit of the Peak ... E-Legend of the Princess Sudhádéwi ... ... F.-The Daladá-Máligáwa; and the History of the Tooth... G.-Account of the Ascent of Adam's Peak by Lieut. Mal- the Office of High Priest of Adam's Peak K.-Description of the Attanagalu Forest Joronis De Soysa, Esq., after his appointment to the rank of Mudaliyar of the Governor's Gate, in 1853 N. Festivities at Bagatelle, Kollupitiya, in honor of His ERRATA. OWING to an unfortunate mistake, the accompanying Map, engraved and printed in London, is not so accurate in its delineation of the country and route from Palábaddala to Diyabetma as it should have been. North of Palábaddala, trending to the east, rises the mountain Kunudiya-parvaté, the western face of which is a tremendous precipice. South of and forming an angle with this mountain runs a range consisting of the mountains Kondagala, Nílihela, and Kękillagala. The route from Palábaddala is first between Kondagala and Nílihela, then up and over the latter, on to a range that culminates at Diyabetma, the watershed of the district; the streams to the east of Diyabetma, between it and Dharma-rája-gala, Sítá-gangula-hena, and Heramiṭipána, flowing in a northerly direction. The source of the Kalu-ganga is west of Diyabetma, whence it runs south, finding its way down among the mountains and passing north of Palábaddala, between it and the lower southern slopes of Kunudiya-parvaté. The following sketch will shew the position of the mountains. 4* The ranges of mountains where Kondagalla and Níhilagalla are marked on the map, are wrongly placed, and the valley between Kondagala and Diabetna should be high mountainous ridges. The following errors and corrections are also here noticed :line sixth from bottom, for "west" read east." page 15, line eighth from top, for "south westerly" read "south-easterly." line thirteenth from bottom, for "C." read "G." the inscription on the stone is in memory of Ekneligoda Disawa, the son of the builder of the vibára. 218, line fifth from bottom, for "least," read "last." The names of persons and places are so variously spelt by different writers, that it has not been possible to preserve uniformity of orthography throughout the work. In the Index, however, all names have been carefully revised, and are correct as they appear there. 5 PREFACE. THERE is perhaps no mountain in the world of which so wide-spread a knowledge exists, as Adam's Peak. Almost every traveller to, or writer on, India and the East, has alluded to, noticed, or more or less described it. But, considering the sanctity in which it is held by Buddhists, Hindus, and Mohammadans; the numerous legends and traditions connected with it; and the immense number of pilgrims who annually visit the alleged Foot-print upon its summit; it is surprising how little has been recorded by any one author, and what wide and glaring discrepancies appear in the different accounts respecting it which have from time to time been given to the world. An excursion to the summit of the Peak, in the early part of 1869, having led to considerable research upon the subject, as well as to two subsequent excursions, the results of the observations and inquiries made on each journey, and in the intervals between, are set forth in the following pages. |