lawa Line

KANDAPOLA (12m. 33c.).—Kandapola station, 6,316 feet Udapusselabove sea level, has the distinction of being situated at the highest elevation reached by the Ceylon Government Railway. Kandapola It marks the entrance into the planting district of Udapussel- 6,316 feet lawa, which, although in the Central Province, is really part of the great mountain ledge popularly known as the Uva country, and is subject to the same conditions of climate as Haputale and Bandarawela which we have already described. So that in the wet season of Nuwara Eliya a dry and sunny climate is very near at hand, being easily accessible by a short railway journey. The line to Kandapola leaves Nuwara Eliya by the eastern gap, crosses the Barrack Plains, and winds up a steep incline, sharing the carriage road for the greater part of the distance.

BROOKSIDE (16m. 45c.).—Between Kandapola and Brook- Brookside side the line descends thirteen hundred feet in four miles. 4,981 feet This station serves the estates around it, but has no special interest for the visitor.

RAGALLA (19m. 17c.).-Ragalla is the terminus of this line. Ragalla Here there is a rest-house with the usual appointments, where 5,818 feet visitors can obtain food and lodging.

Those who live upon the few tea estates that extend to the very edge of these highlands where the descent to the heated plains of the low country is abrupt and precipitous are frequently witnesses of atmospheric phenomena that are at once terrible and magnificent. The sun is shining upon the smiling gardens of tea at an elevation of five thousand feet from which the spectator sees the olive green patanas in soft and symmetrical curves rolling away to the borders of the tender green paddy fields of the lower slopes. Away in the distance lies the Bintenne country with its undulated land of forest and jungle, the retreat of the elephant, leopard and bear, and stretching away in a blue haze to the sea coast. Deep violet shadows are playing upon the lower foothills in constantly changing forms as masses of cloud pass over them. Presently the vapours gather in dense masses enshrouding in semi-darkness one sequestered valley. Suddenly a streak of fire passes through the leaden sky, a faint rumbling reaches our ears, the darkened mass momentarily changes to a lurid glow only to appear more blackened by the flame. Then, as if a vast cistern were suddenly perforated in a myriad places it simply "rains ramrods for a quarter of an hour, the frequent flashes of vivid lightning affording the spectator a view of the deluge descending upon the little valley whose vegetation recovers from the bombardment almost as suddenly as it had been attacked, and thrives amazingly as the result; for although not very distant from the cool and bracing region from which it has been witnessed, that little dale is a veritable hothouse.

Northern
Line

Potuhera

CHAPTER IX

THE NORTHERN LINE ITINERARY

THE Northern Line which branches off from the main line at Polgahawela affords the traveller every facility for visiting the chief of Ceylon's antiquities, its oldest ruined city Anurádhápurá; it also renders easily accessible the interesting peninsula of Jaffna, until quite recently so isolated from the capital that communication was possible only by sea or a most uncomfortable three or four days' journey by cart road. But the interest of the visitor centres in the supreme attraction of Anurádhápurá, whose remains are, as we shall see later, amongst the greatest wonders of the world.

The itinerary from Colombo to Polgahawela has already been described, and we shall now proceed to the first station of the northern branch.

POTUHERA (7m. 53c.). It will be sufficiently evident that we are here again in the midst of tea, cacao, arecas, coconuts, paddy, betel, kurrakan, tamarinds, plantains, limes and sweet potatoes. We see them all flourishing in the native gardens, and especially the plantains, tons of which are daily despatched to distant markets. The village is a very small one; but boasts of a large number of ancient wiháres due to the circumstance that Kurunegala, only six miles distant, became the seat of government after the final overthrow of Polonnaruwa in the early part of the fourteenth century.

168

Line

KURUNEGALA (13m. 15c.).-Kurunegala is now the capital Northern of the North Western Province, and the centre of an important agricultural district, which has during the last twenty years Kurunegala risen by leaps and bounds to a condition of great prosperity. Not only has the capitalist greatly extended the cultivation of coconuts where a few years ago all was jungle inhabited only by the elephant; but the villager, stimulated by example and the encouragement of a paternal government, has awakened to the prolific possibilities of his higher lands, and has added other products to his hitherto exclusive paddy cultivation. The result is not only a great increase of wealth; but a decided improvement in health also; for Kurunegala was not many years ago dreaded for its own special type of malarial fever that almost always attacked the new-comer and which greatly distressed the natives during the dry weather immediately following on the rains, when vegetation rotted in the swamps. Now that so much of the country has been cleared of its rank vegetation for cultivation great improvement is manifest, and it is hoped that in course of time Kurunegala fever will be unknown. The town, which has a population of about 7,000, is beautifully situated and possesses an ornamental lake of about one hundred acres. The fine residence of the Government Agent, still known as the Maligawa (palace), is on the site of the ancient royal palace. A few years ago its grounds were strewn with remains of the original building; but the most interesting of them have now been deposited in the Colombo museum.

The natural features of Kurunegala are extremely picturesque, and possess some characteristics that are peculiar. Behind the town there stretches for some miles a series of enormous rocks rising to upwards of eight hundred feet from the plain. They are eight in number, and six of them bear distinctive names of animals which their curious shapes have been supposed to represent. These are the Elephant, Tortoise, Beetle, Eel, Goat and Crocodile. There are also two others known as the Gonigala or Sack Rock, and the Yakdessagala or She-demon's Curse; the latter rising to 1,712 feet above sea level.

These rocks doubtless influence in some degree the temperature of the air at Kurunegala; but less than is generally supposed. The heat is very much the same as at Colombo, averaging 80° Fahr. The most interesting of the rocks may be climbed, and the reward is commensurate with the effort demanded, the surrounding country exhibiting its tropical flora to better advantage than when seen from the greater heights. On the Tortoise Rock (Ibbagala), which is approached from the Kachcheri within the town, there is an interesting temple situated beneath an overhanging ledge; a portion of the rock