This town is built among the high mountains. It was built there for the
same reason that the eagle builds her nest on the top of a tall rock,--to
get out of the reach of enemies. But the proud king, who once dwelt
there, has been conquered, and now England's Queen rules over Ceylon. No
wonder that the proud king had enemies, for he was a monster of cruelty.
His palace is still to be seen. See that high tower, and that open
gallery at the top! There the _last king_ used to stand to enjoy the
sight of his subjects' agonies. Those who had offended him were killed in
the Court below,--killed not in a common manner, but in all kinds of
barbarous ways,--such as by being cut in pieces, or by swallowing melted
lead. At length the Cingalese invited the English to come and deliver
them from their tyrant; the English came and shut him up in prison till
he died, and now an English governor rules over Ceylon.
The greatest curiosity to be seen at Kandy is a TOOTH! a tooth that the
people say was taken out of the mouth of their Buddha. It is kept in a
splendid temple on a golden table, in a golden box of great size. There
are seven boxes one inside the other, and in the innermost box, wrapped
up in gold, there is a piece of ivory, the size of a man's thumb,--that
is the tooth of Buddha! Every day it is worshipped, and offerings of
fruit and flowers are presented.