ASSAM, BURMA, AND CEYLON 193

celebrated for its great natural strength and capacity, as
well as for the beauty of its surroundings. It is said that
all the navies in the world might find shelter in the harbour
of Trincomali.
Galle harbour, on the south coast, is also well known
to travellers as a port of call for ships bound to India. It
has lately been superseded by Colombo, but is now under
a process of improvement that may once again bring into
prominence the quaint old Dutch town which dominates
it. Colombo harbour is
also undergoing extensive
alterations, which will add
greatly to its advantages.
A heavy.surf beats unceasingly
 on the coast at
Colombo, and, under the
influence of strong southwesterly
 gales, the approach
 to the harbour in
its recent form was often
dangerous.
The northern half of
the island is flat and forestcovered.
 The southern is
about equally divided between
 hills and plains, the
hills occupying all the
centre of the island, and
influencing the climate (as already explained) in a remarkable
 degree. It is about the hills and the southern
and western plains that most of the planting which
constitutes the wealth of the island exists. These
hills culminate in the peak of Pedrotalagalla (8300 feet
above the sea) close to the pretty hill station of Nuwara
Elia (generally pronounced Nuralia), which occupies the
highest plateau amongst them ; Adam’s Peak, which is
much better known, and was for many years supposed to
be the highest peak in the island, being only #7400 feet,
1 New harbour works have already been constructed.
“

Fic. 61.—Colombo Harbour.