Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 10.djvu/50

40  1em 1em 1em 1em 1em 1em 1em  GALLE, or, a town and port in the southern province of Ceylon, on the south-western coast, about 72 S. of Colombo, with which it is connected by a good carriage road. It was made a municipality in 1865, and divided into the ﬁve districts of the Fort, Callowelle, Galopiaddc, Hirimburc, and Cumbalwalla. The fort, which is more than a mile in circumference, commands the whole harbour, but is commanded by a range of hills. Within its enclosure are not only several Government buildings, but an old church erected by the Dutch East India Company, a mosque, a Wesleyan chapel, a hospital, and a considerable number of houses occupied by Europeans. The old Dutch building known as the queen’s house or governor's residence, which dated from the year 1687, was in such a dilapidated state that it was sold by Governor Gregory in 1873. Elsewhere there are few buildings of individual note, but the general style of domestic architecture is pleasant and comfortable, though not pretentious. One of the most delightful features of the place is the profusion of trees, even within the town, and along the edge of the shore—suriyas, palms, cocoa-nut trees, and bread-fruit trees. The ramparts towards the sca furnish ﬁne promenades. In the harbour deep water is found close to the shore, and the outer roads are spacious ; but the south-west monsoon renders entrance difﬁcult, and not unfrequently drives vessels from their moorings. Galle is an important point on the lines of communication between Calcutta and Australia, and between Suez and Singapore. The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, the ilfessageries Alfaritimcs, and the British India Steam Navigation Company have agencies at the port. The trade is mainly in the productions of the surrounding country, of which in 1873 there was shipped 11,477 cwts.