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Message: <blockquote data-quote="netlife007" data-source="post: 20597723" data-attributes="member: 79514">In 1656 the Dutch laid siege to Colombo by land and sea, which included crossing the lake. After seven months the Portuguese surrenderedWith the formation of the lake, islands were created. During the Portuguese era the captain general built a house on one. During the Dutch era another was large enough to contain a plantation of 600 coconut trees and a village, possibly where the neighbourhood of Polwatta (‘coconut garden’) is situated today, behind President’s House.The largest was Slave Island, so-called because the slaves from Goa who worked in Dutch houses during the daytime were transported there for the night. Captain’s Garden, the elevated area where the oldest Hindu temple in Colombo, the Sri Kailasanathar Swamy Devasthanam, is located, was also an island. It had a rare well, from which water was distributed around the city by means of bullocks laden with two leather ‘puckauly bags’, which were made from an entire ox-hide, each holding 20 gallons (1 gallon = 3.8 litres).The British attacked the Dutch fort at Colombo in 1795 using the same strategy that their enemy used with the Portuguese – crossing the lake. It was not a long battle. During the early years of the British era, after the removal of the crocodiles, the scenic lake became a recreational centre, especially for rowing and yachting, as John Deschamps explains in Scenery and Reminiscences of Ceylon (1845):“The lake forms one of the greatest attractions of Colombo, and by its margin stand some of the most delightful residencies in the Island; whilst its waters afford the favourite and healthful recreation of boating to the officers of the garrison and other European inhabitants. An annual regatta has been established, and on these occasions the lake puts on a gay and animated appearance. Nearly all the crafts are dressed in bunting and at night illuminated using coloured lanterns.”It was the venue for frequent parties, concerts, theatrical events and the odd important occasion. For instance, the news of the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington in June 1815 prompted a grand ball held at the water’s edge.The lake had a practical purpose too: it was used by those who lived in the “delightful residencies” along the bank to travel to work in Fort by skiff. It must have been an enchanting commute. In The Ceylon Government Railway (1910), Henry W Cave states:“One is constantly coming across pretty nooks and corners, each fresh view presenting a wealth of foliage luxuriant beyond description. Palms in great variety intermingle with the gorgeous mass of scarlet flamboyant blossoms, the lovely lemon-yellow lettuce tree, the graceful bamboo, the crimson blossoms of the hibiscus . . . the whole forming to the rippling water a border of universal beauty and unfailing interest.”Environmental history was made when a 3-hectare slice of Slave Island became the first British botanic garden in Ceylon. Called Kew Gardens, and sited on today’s Kew Road, it was opened in 1810 to cultivate seedlings provided by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London.By the mid-19th century environmental degradation has begun to take hold. The water’s edge and the lake became polluted with rubbish, and the stench was noxious. Henry Trimen, in researching his Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon (1893-1900), had found a variety of plants in the lake in 1879, but 12 years later all had disappeared.From 1900 to 1920 there was a drastic reduction of the extensive waterscape due to reclamation work by the Lake Development Scheme, remembered in today’s Reclamation Road. So much was lost, including the area of Suduwella – meaning ‘white, sandy shore’ – near St Joseph’s College. In 1869, when Colombo’s boundary was defined, the lake covered 165 hectares, but today, due to the reclamation and other interventions, the figure is 65 hectares.The derivation of the name is uncertain, yet it was as recent as 1927 that ‘Beira Lake’ first appeared on maps. Until then it was called ‘Colombo Lake’ or merely ‘the lake’. The common belief is that Beira is derived from De Beer, the Dutch engineer who constructed the moats, sluices and water defences of Colombo. The recovery of a granite plaque inscribed “De Beer 1700” in a sluice from the lake supports this belief. But others point out that ‘beira’ is a Portuguese word meaning, ‘bank or edge of a lake’.Despite its reduction in size, the lake remains impressive. Every city needs a body of water, a natural and calm contrast to the bustling surroundings, and Beira Lake fulfils the requirements splendidly.</blockquote>

Verification: Haya warak paha keeyada? (haya wadi kireema paha)

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