*******

Many of you who travel on the Colombo-Kandy road may not give much thought as to why this road was initially built and who is responsible for its existence. Come journey on this road with me and you will learn about it and also why the column erected on a cliff above the Kadugannawa Pass is so significant.

********

Before the Colombo-Kandy road (A1) was built, the route to Kandy from Colombo was along the Kelani Valley to Ruwanwella. From Ruwanwella a road led to the Ma Oya valley; then along the Ma Oya valley to Gampola.

From Gampola there was a good road to Kandy. This route was long, tiring and time consuming (taking up much time).

Although the British annexed the Kandyan kingdom in March 1815, they could not take full control. The chiefs of the old kingdom were still powerful and they would not take orders from the new white rulers. There was a rebellion in 1818.

The British put down the rebellion killing many of the chiefs, among them Keppetipola Maha Disawa.

After this rebellion, the Governor realised that to take full control of the hill country, there should be a quick and shorter route to Kandy. So, Governor Edward Barnes decided to build a new road, a quick and shorter one from Colombo to Kandy and appointed Captain William Francis Dawson of the Royal Commanding Engineers to plan and construct this road.

We who travel up and down the Kandy road today, cannot imagine the difficulties Captain Dawson surmounted (got over) and the dangers he faced to build this road. Over 190 years ago when Captain Dawson took up this work, the whole land from the summit of the central hills to the sea coast was one huge forest with villages scattered here and there like islands in this sea of trees.

This short account left by a sportsman (one who shoots animals for pleasure), gives an idea of the arduous and dangerous task Captain Dawson undertook.

“In this great and unbroken forest, elephants roamed in broad daylight, wild pigs roamed about in countless numbers, spotted deer grazed in the glades, leopards waited to prey upon them and buffaloes charged an enemy in a body.

The rivers were teeming with crocodiles assimilating (taking on) the colour of the mud in which they lay during the day.” Apart from these, there were numerous reptiles, porcupines, jungle rats and monkeys.

To mark the route the Captain had to cross rivers which were torrents during rains, plod through swamps, cross rocky ground and ravines, and climb hill after hill. The bends that begin a few kilometres before Ambanpitiya continue upto the Kadugannawa Pass.

Work on the construction of the road began in 1820. Captain Dawson was on the site directing and supervising the work done by locals, then called ‘natives’.

This was the first road built by the British. Except for the stretch of road from Warakapola to Ambanpitiya - a distance of 11 miles - constructed under the supervision of Major Thomas Skinner, the rest of the work was directed and supervised by Captain Dawson.

To have built a road this long without the implements and technical know-how we have today, to have blasted a rock to make a tunnel for vehicles to pass through, is testimony to Captain Dawson’s skill and technical knowledge.

Unfortunately, Captain Dawson couldn’t live to see his work completed. He was taken ill suddenly and brought to Colombo. It was said that he had been bitten by a venomous snake He died on March 28, 1829.

Major Skinner who worked closely with Captain Dawson, wrote in his diary. “I have lost a dear friend and a great officer.

He died in my arms. The news of his death was received with great sorrow. He was liked by all”.

It look nearly another two years to complete the road. In 1831 the first mail coach left Colombo and went along the new road to Kandy. It was a great triumph but a triumph clouded with sadness, for Captain Dawson was not there to witness this historic journey.

Captain Dawson’s friends and colleagues felt that there should be an appropriate memorial to him, and they conveyed their proposal to the Governor.

By then, Governor Barnes had left and Sir Robert Horton was Governor. He had himself seen the work done by Captain Dawson and he readily gave his assent to the proposal. The site chosen for the memorial was the cliff above the Kadugannawa Pass - the rock which was blasted to form the tunnel.The foundation stone for this memorial - a white column was laid on the same day that the foundation for the memorial to the Duke of Wellington was laid in Hyde Park, London.

The Dawson Tower was built to the same height as Wellington’s Tower - 200 feet. In 1815 Napolean was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo which was a turning point in European history and it was the Duke of Wellington who led that battle. It was a special tribute to Captain Dawson that his memorial should be of the same height as the memorial to the Duke of Wellington. You can’t miss this column as you climb up to the Kadugannawa Pass or come down from Kandy.

When you next go that way, tell your parents to take the first turn to the right after the pass (the Gampola road) and after a few yards turn right again into the path that leads to Dawson’s Tower.

- Sumana Saparamadu