The stone causeway which passed through the ruins
was about two miles in length, being for the most part overgrown with
low jungle and prickly cactus. I traversed the jungle for some distance
until arrested by the impervious nature of the bushes; but wherever I
went, the ground was stewed with squared stones and fallen brickwork
overgrown with rank vegetation.
The records of Ceylon do not afford any satisfactory information
concerning the original foundation of this city. The first time that we
hear of it is in the year 286 B.C.; but we have no account of the era or
cause of its desertion. Although Mahagam is the only vestige of an
ancient city in this district, there are many ruined buildings and
isolated dagobas of great antiquity scattered throughout the country. I
observed on a peak of one of the Kattregam hills large masses of fallen
brickwork, the ruins of some former buildings, probably coeval with
Mahagam. The whole of this district, now so wild and desolate, must in
those days have been thickly populated and highly cultivated, although,
from the present appearance of the country, it does not seem possible
that it has ever altered its aspect since the Creation.
Descending a steep bank shaded by large trees, we crossed the bed of the
Manick Ganga (`Jewel River'). The sand was composed of a mixture of
mica, quartz, sapphire, ruby, and jacinth, but the large proportion of
ruby sand was so extraordinary that it seemed to rival Sindbad the
Sailor's vale of gems. The whole of this was valueless, but the
appearance of the sand was very inviting, as the shallow stream in
rippling over it magnified the tiny gems into stones of some magnitude.
I passed an hour in vainly searching for a ruby worth collecting, but
the largest did not exceed the size of mustard seed.
The natives use this sand for cutting elephants' teeth, in the same
manner that a stonemason uses sand to assist him in sawing through a
stone. Elephants' teeth or grinders are so hard that they will produce
sparks upon being struck with a hatchet.
About two miles from the opposite bank of the river, having journeyed
through a narrow path bordered upon either side by thick jungle, we
opened upon an extensive plain close to the village of Wihare-welle.
This plain was covered with wild indigo, and abounded with peafowl.
Passing through the small village at the extremity of the plain, we
pitched the tent upon the borders of the lake, about a quarter of a mile
beyond it. This tank was about three miles in circumference, and, like
that of Sitrawelle, was one of the ancient works of the Mahagam princes.
