Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/371

 

CEYLON

CEYLON, an island in the Indian Ocean, separated on J the N.W. from continental India by the Gulf o: Manaar. It lies between 5 55 and 9 51 N. lat., anc between 79" 41 40" and 81 54 50" E. long. Its extreme length from north to south is 271 miles; its greatest width is 137 miles; and its area, including that of its dependent islands, amounts to 25,742 miles, or about one-sixth smaller than Ireland. In its general outline the island resembles a cone, the apex of which points towards the north.

Sketch Map of Ceylon (embracing 299 miles by 233).

The Coast.—The coast is beset on the N.W. with number less sandbanks, rocks, and shoals, and may be said to be almost connected with India by the island of llauiisseram and Adam s Bridge, a succession of bold rocks reaching almost .across the gulf at its narrowest point. Between the island and the opposite coast there exist two open channels of varying depth and width, beset by rocks and shoals. One of these, the Mannar Passage, is only navigable by very small craft. The other, called the Paumben Passage, lying between Eamisseram and the mainland, has been deepened at considerable outlay, and is now used by vessels drawing ten feet of water, in passing from the Malabar to the Coromandel coast, which were formerly compelled in doing so to make the circuit of the island. The west and south coasts, which are uniformly low, are fringed their entire length by cocoa-nut trees, which grow to the water s edge in great luxuriance, and give to the island a most picturesque appearance. Along these shores there are numerous inlets and backwaters of the sea, some of which are available as harbours for small native craft. The east coast from Point de Galle to Trincomalee is of an entirely opposite character, wanting the ample vegetation of the other, and being at the same time of a bold precipitous character. The largest ships may freely approach this side of the island, provided they take care to aroid a few dangerous rocks, whose localities are, however, well known to navigators.

Seen from a distance at sea, this "utmost Indian isle" of the old geographers wears a truly beautiful appearance. The remarkable elevation known as "Adam s Peak," the most prominent, though not the loftiest, of the hilly ranges of the interior, towers like a mountain monarch amongst an assemblage of picturesque hills, and is a sure landmark for the weary navigator, when as yet the Colombo light house is hidden from sight amidst the green groves of palms that seem to be springing from the waters of the ocean.

The low coast-line of country encircles the mountain- zone of the interior on the east, south, and west, form ing a belt which extends inland to a varying distance of from 30 to 80 miles; but on the north the whole breadth of the island from Kalpitiya to Batticaloa is an almost unbroken plain, containing magnificent forests of great extent.

Mountains.—The mountain zone is towards the south of the island, and covers an area of about 4212 miles. The up lifting force seems to have been exerted from south-west to north-east, and although there is much confusion in many of the intersecting ridges, and spurs of great size and extent are sent off in many directions, the lower ranges mani fest a remarkable tendency to run in parallel ridges in a direction from south-east to north-west. Towards the north the off-sets of the mountain system radiate to short distances and speedily sink to the level of the plain. Detached hills are rare ; the most celebrated of these are Mihintale, which overlooks the sacred city of Anuradha- pura, and Sigiri. The latter is the only example in Ceylon of those solitary acclivities which form so remark able a feature in the table-land of the Dcccan,- which, starting abruptly from the plain, with scarped and perpen dicular sides, are frequently converted into strongholds accessible only by precipitous pathways or by steps hewn in the solid rock.

For a long period Adam s Peak was supposed to be the highest mountain in Ceylon, but actual survey makes it only 7352 feet above the sea-level. This elevation is chiefly remarkable as the resort of pilgrims from all parts of the East. The hollow in the lofty rock that crowns the summit is said by the Brahmans to be the footstep of Siva, by the Buddhists of Buddha, by the Mahometans of Adam, whilst the Portuguese Christians were divided between the conflicting claims of St Thomas and the eunuch of Cundace queen of Ethiopia. The footstep is covered by a handsome roof, and is guarded by the priests of a rich monastery half way up the mountain, who main tain a shrine on the summit of the peak. The highest mountains in Ceylon are Piduru Talagala, 8295 feet in altitude; Kirigalpota, 783G feet; and Totapelakanda, 7746 feet.

The summits of the highest ridges are clothed with ver

dure, and along their base, in the beautiful valleys which intersect them in every direction, the slopes were till within the last few years covered with forests of gigantic and valuable trees, which have now disappeared under the axe of the planter, who has felled and burnt the timber on all the finest slopes at an elevation of 2000 to 4500 feet, and converted the hill sides into highly-cultivated coffee estates. The plain of Nuwara Eliya, the sanatorium of the island, is at an elevation of 6200 feet, and possesses

many of the attributes of an alpine country. The climate