with the report of a case from Manaar contained in the Jaffna Morning Star, we
find it stated that " among the ignorant, illiterate portion of the
native community, a notion is pretty generally held that to ensure
success in search of hidden treasure, a human victim must first be
sacrificed to propitiate some deity." It is to be hoped that few
persons with such notions will be found amongst the searchers on the
present occasion.
We
find we were in error in our last in giving " Gold Plain" as the
interpretation of Ruanwelli. "Gold Sand" is the correct one. The Native
correspondent to whom we have been indebted for much information
already, writes as follows :—
"Ruanwclle, I
think, strictly means 'gold sand,' and not 'gold plain.' You are quite
correct in supposing that ' Ruanwelli dagob' means the "dagob covered
with dust."
" Ruanwelle is situate in Three Korales, and cannot be the place mentioned by Tumour.
" Ruanwelli dagob is the well-known dagob of that name in Anuradhapura.
"A
detailed account of this temple will be found in the Thupawansi. I
shall look into it, and see if it contain any information that may
prove interesting on the subject of gold.
" I remember reading somewhere that the Ruwanwelli dagob was so called from its having been covered with gold or gum-dust (A'uwau also means gum). I thought the passage was found in the Thupaixansi (History
of Thupas or Dagobs), but on taking a hasty glance of the work last
night I could not find the passage. According to popular tradition, the
Ruwanwelli dagob was so called, because the gods cavsed gold sand to lie strewn on the square of the dagob in the days of its consecration.
"It is known in Pali Historical Records by the names of Henta mali, Ratana mali, Sonnamali, Ratnawaluka, Cheteya or Thupo. They all signify gold-sand or jewel-sand dagob. The term also might mean 'gold-mountain' or ' jewel-mountain.' The author of the Thupawansi in his introduction says, ' I proceed to relate the history of Ratna Mali Cheteya (gold or jewel sand, Cheteya) which is refulgent with a vast mass of gold, jewels, gems, &c, &c."
March 20, 1854.
I have this morning seen a native of Hapitigam Korale, who tells me that there is a hill as well as a village of the name of Maldeniya in that Korale, and that the distance from that village to the " diggings " is only about \\ .or
2 miles. I also learn from him that the distance from Maldeniya to
Belligal Korale is about 6 or 7 miles. I have also heard that Maldeniya
Unnanse, although resident at present at Kurunegala, is a native of
Maldeniya in Hapitigam Korale.
We
have been endeavouring to identify the places mentioned in the
Maha-wanso,'where precious metals, gems, &c, were found, but, for
want of a good map of the country surrounding Anuradhapura. with but
indifferent success as yet. The gold seems to have been found in
Bintenne and the silver in Saffragam. We hope to pursue our researches
on this subject. The intelligence from the diggings, as far as it is
certain, is unsatisfactory. Gold continued to be found, but not in
remunerative quantities. A gentleman who visited the scene of
operations on Friday, writes:—
We
found the men (except two laid up with fever) digging out the sand from
what is the river bed in wet weather, placing it on an inclined board
with an iron grating at the end to receive large stones, all the earth
and sand falling into a box with three compartments. Into the first of
these the one under the Tom, the gold falls; when full, all the sand
and stones contained in this box are washed by hand in a large flat tin
pan. I saw the best day's work that has yet been done after 8 hours'
labour assisted by coolies, and in every possible way they got four
dwts. (penny weights) value 15s.. so these diggings will not in my
opinion do. That there is gold to be had in quantity they have yet to prove, and Power, who is appointed Cold Commissioner, started
