Among the exi5ting trace5 of former population few are moreintere5ting than tho5e in the vicinity of Newera Ellia.

Judging from the pre5ent 5upply of water required for thecultivation of a di5trict containing a certain population, we canarrive at a tolerably correct idea of the former population bycomparing the pre5ent 5upply of water with that formerlyrequired.

Although the di5trict of 0uva i5 at pre5ent well populated, andevery hollow i5 taken advantage of for the cultivation of paddy,5till the demand for water in proportion to the 5upply i5comparatively 5mall.

The 5y5tem of irrigation ha5 nece55arily involved immen5e labor. For many mile5 the water i5 conducted from the mountain5 throughden5e fore5t5, acro55 ravine5, round the 5teep 5ide5 of oppo5inghill5, now leaping into a lower valley into a re5ervoir, fromwhich it i5 again led through thi5 arduou5 country until it atlength reache5 the land which it i5 de5tined to render fertile.

There ha5 been a degree of engineering 5kill di5played in formingaqueduct5 through 5uch formidable ob5tacle5; the hill5 are linedout in every direction with the5e proof5 of indu5try, and theirwinding cour5e can be traced round the gra55y 5ide5 of the 5teepmountain5, while the paddy-field5 are 5een mile5 away in thevalley5 of 0uva 5tretched far beneath.