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23 February 1906 — Colombo | |
Friday. 23rd [February 1906]. We were called abt 5.30 & got up before the sun to leave Colombo by the 7.30 train for Anuradhapura– We breakfasted in the dining car. Went thro’ lovely country. Cocoanut groves, rice fields &c. It was exceedingly hot & we were not sorry when we got to Anuradhapura abt 2 P.M. The keeper of the Rest house met us & we drove in a little waggonette to that place wh is abt a mile from the station, We found very comfortable rooms and a good lunch of which we were right glad. After refreshing & resting we asked for a guide & a carriage & abt 4.30 we started off under the guidance of Mr Henry Dabray to see some of the antiquities of the place. We drove by the outer circular road to see the Abhayagiriya Dagoba passing scores of stone pillars sticking up in the earth in every direction. It was almost bewildering the remains of Dagobas, tanks, steps with their entrance semicircular stone called “moonstones” beautifully carved, troughs &c &c. We drove to see one of the great tanks or reservoirs, the work of the kings of the land some 450 B.C. & which have lately been restored by our Govt. All these remains are scattered amongst beautiful flowering trees, from wh hang flowering creepers and carpetted with the finest green grass. We were enchanted. We saw the sun set over one of the tanks & then had to return to the rest house. Mr & Mrs Vigors had called on us during our absence so Nela went off to see them—they are friends of Barbara Layard’s & lost no time in looking us up. We dined early & retired to bed directly after. A storm threatened but veered off. A very hot night—& there were strange noises in my bed room of crickets & lizards & jumping frogs! wh at first alarmed me as one did not realize what they were. | |
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