VIEW OF THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE GALLERY LEADING TO THE CITADEL OF SIGIRIYA
We came down from the caves rather discouraged, but were somewhat cheered when we looked upon the decorations of the table that had been set for our dinner. An elaborate design was traced on the table-cloth by a sprinkling of rice that had been dyed a bright pink. The very holes in the cloth, and these were numerous, were turned into part of the decoration; for they were made the centers of flowers or the eyes of a bird, and one triangular rent formed the roof of a little cottage. The keeper of the rest-house, who seemed to be cook, waiter, and chambermaid, told us as he served the rice and chicken that he had engaged a bullock-cart to take us the rest of the way. It was late the next morning before the bullock, the cart, and the driver appeared at our door. A bullock about the size of a three-months’-old calf, an equally tiny cart, with an arched cover woven of split bamboo, and of course without a suggestion of springs, and a Tamil driver, his head tied up in the brightest of handkerchiefs, and with the ubiquitous sarong (only it is not called a sarong in Ceylon) dangling about his heels, made up our equipment for the last stage of the journey.
THE AUDIENCE-HALL ROCK
The fabled tortoise was an animal of speed compared with that bullock. Had we made an earlier start, I am sure we could have walked the whole way; but the terrible sun made walking impossible, and we were forced to keep huddled down under the cart’s protecting thatch. We could count the seconds while the little animal seemed to stand poised after each step. Even twisting his tail did little good, and beating none at all. Along each side of the road the jungle formed a solid wall too dense for beauty. Occasionally a bright-plumed bird peeped out through the trees, and once a small panther-like animal showed himself at the roadside, and our bullock actually ran until he was well away from the danger.
ONE OF THE ENTRANCES TO THE GALLERY LEADING TO SIGIRIYA
We were hot and dusty and tired when at last we came in sight of Sigiriya, but in the presence of the strange impressiveness of this enormous rock, heat, dust, and weariness passed from our thoughts like a dream. It rose, this great shaft of granite, high above the trees, like some enormous mushroom sprung suddenly from the dank flatness of the jungle. Against the dusty green of the surrounding forest and the burned-out blue of the pale, hot sky its simple and majestic outline showed clean and sharp. But past all understanding was the brilliance of coloring that marked its walls. In the glare of the declining sun it looked as though a mighty battle had been fought upon the level crown, and the blood of thousands of warriors had spilled and trickled over the edge and down the cliff, and so set an indelible mark of fierceness and anger on the face of this somber jungle monster.
At first we could see no evidence of past human occupation; but by and by, as we drew nearer, we were able to detect a little spiral line, broken here and there, that seemed to be wound about the face of the cliff. What concerned us more at the time, however, was that we could see no signs of present human habitation, and we were in sore need, after the jolt, jolt, jolt of our wretched little cart, of food and a place where we might sleep. Our Tamil driver, while he belabored his bullock to make him hurry, had been telling us of the elephants and tigers that lived out here in the jungle, and we could easily see for ourselves that the woods were thick enough to shelter a whole menagerie of animals; so it was with the greatest relief that we presently saw a little rest-house in front of us, and leaving the small bullock and his black driver to come as they pleased, we took to our own feet and hurried on to the protecting inclosure. After a long rest and a long good supper, we took our “Mihavansa,” and, there under the brow of the great “Lions’ Rock,” read again the strange, fragmentary history of Kassapa and his crime.
“ ... And he (Dhatusena) had two sons,—Kassapa, whose mother was unequal in rank to his father, and Moggallana, a mighty man, whose mother was of equal rank with his father. Likewise also he had a beautiful daughter, who was as dear unto him as his own life. And he gave her to wife unto his sister’s son, to whom also he gave the office of chief of the army. And he (the nephew) scourged her on the thighs, albeit there was no fault in her. And when the king saw that his daughter’s cloth was stained with blood, he learned the truth and was wroth, and caused his nephew’s mother to be burnt naked. From that time forth the nephew bare malice against the king; and he joined himself unto Kassapa, and tempted him to seize the kingdom and betray his father. And then he gained over the people, and caused the king his father to be taken alive. And Kassapa raised the canopy of dominion after that he had destroyed the men of the king’s party and received the support of the wicked men in the kingdom. Thereupon Moggallana endeavored to make war against him. But he could not obtain a sufficient force, and proceeded to the Continent of India with the intent to raise an army there.