CINGALESE ANTIQUITIES.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1268, 11 April 1878, Page 3

CINGALESE ANTIQUITIES.

The colonial papers (says the “ Pall Mall Budget ”) issued recently contain an account of the Kurunegala antiquities discovered last year in Ceylon. The dagobas in which they were found are situate in the midst of the Crown jungles, which now grow on the site of the old city of Pandawewa. This is supposed to be the oldest town in the island, and to have flourished 2300 years ago; but tbe buildings, including several dagobas, are now not only overgrown by the jungle, but also covered to some considerable depth with earth. One of the shrines was about a year ago broke into by thieves, who carried off the principal ornaments, and got them safely into the melting-pot before they could be traced. The event, however, induced the Government agent to make a more thorough investigation, which resulted in bringing to light out of some hidden niches in the walls eight golden figures of Buddha. The images had apparently been moulded of clay and wax, or perhaps of wood, and covered with plating of gold ; but all the interior substance, whatever it was, had long rotted away, and the metal was filled with earth thrown up by ants and worms. One of the Buddhas had originally been seated on a silver throne, and, in fact, was found in that attitude. But although the gold was very bright and in good condition, the baser metal had from its extreme age become oxidised, so that at the first touch the throne crumbled away into small fragments and left the god to fall iguominiously down on his back.