used for boat-building, flower like a rose-colour lilac ;
the Ironwood (Mesua ferrea), large tree with scarlet
«hoots, etc.
Having thoroughly enjoyed my visit I walked back
to Kandy, during the cooler part of the afternoon,
meeting all the beauty of the town and a great
many healthy-looking children, which speaks well for
the climate; the latter is said to be excellent, and the
town tolerably free from fever.
Soon after my return, whilst taking down notes, I
was disturbed by a great noise, produced by the combined
instrumentality of a tom-tom, a flute, and a
•drum, which came from the direction of the temple,
^calling the people to their evening devotion, and a
friend offering to show me the wonderful relic therein
preserved, and which is most jealously guarded by the
priests, we walked across to the Dalada Maligawa, a
large octagonal building, the upper story of which
recedes to admit of a gallery, with pillars supporting
.a conical roof. A solid square stone portico flanked
•on each side by handsomely carved inner and outer
walls of different height, gives access to both temple or
Dagoba, and monastery or Yihara. The latter consists
•of three or four buildings to the back, surrounded by
gardens and again enclosed by a third and higher wall
of similar design as the other two. The whole group
presents some good sculptures and other mural ornamentations.
On entering the temple, priests in their
yellow robes and shaven heads, with much ceremony,
admitted us to an inner compartment, where there was
:a handsome shrine containing the sacred tooth of
Buddha in a silver-gilt casket of the ordinary bell
•shape—a piece of ivory about two inches long, for the
possession of which the late king of Siam had offered a
sum of money equal to forty thousand pounds sterling,
but the priests declined, finding it to their advantage
to keep the relic, and to exhibit it from time to time
to the faithful, which brings considerable sums into
their coffer. The original tooth was destroyed by the
Portuguese 300 years ago, which is conveniently
•overlooked by the priesthood. There are also a great
many silver-gilt images of Buddha grouped within the
temple, and one of crystal, the most beautiful thing of
the kind; it is enclosed in a casket of elegant workmanship
about eighteen inches high.
With some difficulty, and after a donation, gratefully
accepted by the priests, although poverty, as well as
celibacy, are strictly enjoined upon them by Buddha,
we managed to get through the throng which was just
on the point of filing off in procession around the
temple. Near it there is one of those peculiar large
i bell-shaped tombs of a Kandian king.