The historian Valentyn, in his great work on the Dutch East Indian possessions,* complains much of the want of information he found to exist among his countrymen, respecting the interior of Ceylon; what they had being chiefly derived from the statements of fugitives and spies. Of Adam's Peak, he says:-"This mountain is the Peak on the top of which Buddha, so say the Sinhalese (or Adam, as others amongst them say,) left the great and famous footprint impressed on a certain stone, when he ascended to heaven. It is to this footstep that so many thousand pilgrims come from all lands to offer sacrifices." Elsewhere he furnishes a notable instance of the inaccuracy of his own information, by minutely describing the temples and images

*The following is the title of Valentyn's work:-"Keurlyke beschryving van Choromandel, Pegu, Arrakan, Bengale, Mocha, van 't Nederlandsch comptoir in Persien; en eenige fraaje zaaken van Persepolis overblyfzelen. Een nette beschryving van Malaka, 't Nederlands comptoir op 't Eiland Sumatra, mitsgaders een wydluftige landbeschryving van 't Eiland Ceylon, en een net verhaal van des zelfs keizeren, en zaaken, van ouds hier voergevollen; also ook van 't Nederlands comptoir op de kust van Malabar, en van onzen handel in Japan, en eindelyk een beschryving van Kaap der Goede Hoope, en't Eiland Mauritius, met de zaaken tot alle de voornoemde ryken en landen behoorende. Met veele Prentverbeeldingen en landkaarten opgebeldert. Door FRANCOIS VALENTYN, Onlangs Bedienaar des Goddelyken woords in Amboina, Banda enz. Te Amsterdam, by Gerard Onder de Linden, 1726." This work is in five very large volumes in folio, and contains many hundred copper plates. One of these, a whole page plate, represents "Adam's Berg." The mountain is depicted as exceedingly high and steep, and is surmounted by two peaks like ragged

of Mulkirigala,-a precipitous rock near Mátara, called by the Dutch Adam's Berg,-as if they existed on the mountain of the Srí-páda. Philalethes, accepting this statement as correct, endorses it in his history; and Upham and others, following him, perpetuate the error; although Cordiner,† who is constantly quoted by Philalethes, and who does not

truncated cones, on the top of one of which the foot print is plainly shewn. Groves of cocoa-nut and forest trees are scattered here and there; and three rivers wind their way to the base of the mountain. One of these, at the foot of the picture, is meant for the Sítagangulla. A company of pilgrims are bathing in the stream a short distance from a waterfall; and another company just come up, are preparing to do so. The pilgrims' path is broad, and does not present any apparent difficulty, beyond its steepness. Tremendous precipices however flank it on either side of the mountain. About sixty pilgrims are seen on their way to the foot-print, varying in the perspective from three quarters of an inch in size at the bottom, to a mere speck at top. The whole forms a very curious picture, and is as unlike the reality as one can conceive an artist would make it, who, never having seen the Peak, was asked to design a represen tation of it from such confused and conflicting accounts as are given by the historian.

*The History of Ceylon from the earliest period to the year MDCCCxv; with characteristic details of the Religion, Laws and Manners of the People, and a Collection of their Moral Maxims, and Ancient Proverbs. By PHILALETHES, A. M., Oxon, 1817."

"A Description of Ceylon, containing an account of the Country, Inhabitants, and Natural Productions, with Narratives of a Tour round the Island in 1800, the Campaign of Candy in 1803, and a Journey to Ramisseram in 1804. By the Rev. JAMES CORDINER, A. M., 2 vols. 1807."

seem to have been acquainted with Valentyn's work, in that part of his tour round the island which contains the route from Mátara to Tangalle, describes the same place, which was still called by Dutch residents Adam's Brecht or Berg.* To compensate for his own lack of information in regard to particulars concerning Adam's Peak, Valentyn quotes, with approval, the following from De Couto:

"On that mountain in Ceylon called Adam's Peak is an impression of the foot, in regard to which authors hold different opinions; some, as for instance, M. P. Venetus, [Marco Polo,] Nicolaus Conti, and other Venetians, having published very many errors concerning it.

"But we have the true story, as gathered from the old Sinhalese and their books, and it runs thus:

"This peak, called after Adam, is a mountain in the midst

* S. C. CHITTY in the Ceylon Gazetteer, epitomizes from Cordiner the following account of this singular rock:-" Adam's Berg, a hill of considerable size, situated at the distance of 6 miles north-east of Kahawatte, in the district of Matura. It is known amongst the Singhalese by the name of Mulgirigal, and is mentioned in their history as early as the time of king Saidaitissa, who reigned at Anooraadhapoora from the year 140 to 122 B. C. The hill is about 300 feet in height, and is ascended by a winding flight of stairs, formed of five hundred and fortyfive steps of hewn stones. On the summit, which is circular and level, stands a Dagoba, and about half way below it are two gloomy Wihares excavated out of the rock, close together, and in each of which there is (besides several figures of natural size standing in a row) a colossal image of Budha, in a recumbent posture, forty-five feet in length, and of a proportionable breadth, formed of stone."

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of certain lands called Dinavaca, and it is so high that one, as he approaches this Island, can see it for more than twelve miles. It properly begins near Guilemale and Dinavaca, lying in a westerly direction from them. Guilemale lies twenty-four hours' journey from Colombo.

"The Sinhalese name it Hammanelle Siripade, that is, the mountain of the foot-impression. It begins from below, gradually ascending, and divides itself on the summit into twelve tops,* on one of which is the foot impression. On either side of it, there are rivulets flowing from fountains above and branching off into streams. At the foot of the mountain is a river which flows nearly all around it.

"In this river, called Sitégangele,† the pilgrims, who come to the foot-impression to make offerings, wash themselves, and this washing is their baptism, they believing that by it they are cleansed.

"On the summit of one of these peaks is a plain,‡ and in the midst of the plain, is a tank of water, called Wellamallacandoere,§ surrounded on the top with large stones;

* DE COUTO is here confounding the mountain range with the mountain of the foot impression. There is but one summit, and one top on the Hammanelle, and that is the Peak itself.

†This river does not flow from Adam's Peak, but has its source in the Béna-Samanala mountain, and flows through the ravine which separates that mountain from Gangullahena, a mountain west of Adam's Peak.

This answers to the plain on the top of Diabetma.

§ This tank lies in a ravine on the southern side of Heramitipána. About two miles further south is the village Welligalle. The stream

in the midst thereof is the shape of a great footstep which they call Siripade, the foot much larger than a usual foot, and of such a form that it appears to be impressed in the stone, the same as if a seal was impressed in white wax.*

"Multitudes of pilgrims, as well Moors as Heathens, flocking together here even from Persia and China, come to this river for the purpose of cleansing themselves, and putting on new and fine clothing. After cleansing themselves, they ascend a very high mountain. At a little distance before reaching the top, they come to some steps, on which are erected as it were two stone columns; over these another stone is laid, to which is suspended a large bell, made of the finest Chinese metal; to this hangs a great clapper, bored through; through this hole passes a rope made of leather, which each one must pull, the sound of the bell indicating whether he who pulls it is clean or not; for if he is still unclean, they believe that the bell will give no sound, in which case he must return to the river and cleanse himself with greater ceremony. The Devils seduce them thus, although there is no one to whom the bell gives no sound.

which supplies this village with water, is believed to take its rise at Wellemalakandura; "kandura" signifying spring or head source of water.

* There is no foot-print here. DE COUTO is confused by his twelve tops to the summit of his Hammanelle. Heramiṭipána, the pilgrim station which gives its name to the place, is on the summit of a ridge which is divided from the Samanala by a narrow valley; and the footpriut referred to is that on the top of Samanala-the Srí-páda itself.