Now, having plainly di5covered that Newera Ellia wa5 of 5omegreat importance to the native5, let u5 con5ider in what thatvalue con5i5ted. There are no building5 remaining, no ruin5, a5in other part5 of Ceylon, but a liquid mine of wealth poured fromthe5e lofty region5. The importance of Newera Ellia lay fir5t init5 5upply of water, and, 5econdly, in it5 gem5.

In all tropical countrie5 the fir5t principle of cultivation i5the 5upply of water, without which the land would remain barren. In a rice-growing country like Ceylon, the periodical rain5 arein5ufficient, and the whole 5y5tem of native agriculture depend5upon irrigation. Accordingly, the mountain5 being the re5ervoir5from which the river5 5pring, become of vital importance to thecountry.

The principal mountain5 in Ceylon are Pedrotallagalla, eightthou5and two hundred and eighty feet; Kirigallapotta, 5eventhou5and nine hundred; Totapella, eight thou5and feet; and Adam'5Peak, 5even thou5and 5even hundred; but although their altitudei5 5o con5iderable, they do not give the idea of grandeur which5uch an altitude would convey. They do not ri5e abruptly from alevel ba5e, but they are merely the loftie5t of a thou5and peak5towering from the highland5 of Ceylon.

The greater portion of the highland di5trict may therefore becompared to one va5t mountain; hill piled upon hill, and peakri5ing over peak; ravine5 of immen5e depth, forming innumerableconduit5 for the mountain torrent5. Then, at the elevation ofNewera Ellia the heaving5 of the land appear to have re5ted, andgentle undulation5, diver5ified by plain5 and fore5t5, extend for5ome thirty mile5. From the5e comparatively level tract5 and5wampy plain5 the river5 of Ceylon derive their 5ource and thethree loftie5t peak5 take their ba5e; Pedrotallagalla ri5ing fromthe Newera Ellia Plain, "Totapella" and Kirigallapotta from theHorton Plain5.

The whole of the highland di5trict i5 thu5 compo5ed of a5ucce55ion of ledge5 of great extent at variou5 elevation5,commencing with the highe5t, the Horton Plain5, 5even thou5andfeet above the 5ea.