BOOK REVIEW
TITLE :
THE TREASURE OF THE GREAT REEF
[ MAHA GALWETIYE MUHUDHUBATH NIDANAYA]
AUTHOR : ARTHUR C. CLARKE
TRANSLATED
INTO SINHALESE by MANO FERNANDO
PUBLISHER : SOORIYA PUBLISHERS
REVIEWED
by HEMANTHA SITUGE
Arthur
C. Clarke’s renowned book on his
underwater expeditions entitled : The Treasure of the Great Reef [ Maha
Galwetiye Muhudubath Nidanaya ] is translated by Mano Fernando , that
accomplished translator into Sinhalese and is published by Sooriya Publications
recently. This opus is a sequel to the earlier work of Arthur C. Clarke’s
translated by Mano Fernando himself entitled
" The Reefs of Taprobane" which was published by Sooriya as " Lakdiwa Sagara Pathla " in
2012.
Whilst working on the biography of the
most elusive first diver Vickramadeera Gunawardhana , Wijayatilaka Atukorala
fondly known as ‘ Vicky’ at the behest of Mr.Dharma Sri Kandamby the founder Curator of the National Maritime Museum Fort Galle I indicated in the ‘ Atu: Man behind the
Legend’ 2000 an article published Loris Magazine the Journal of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society that
there were two types of naturalists, the
first is the bookish academics and the second is the gung ho naturalists; who
wished to name themselves through a new discovery to the scientific world. Arthur C. Clarke Mike Wilson, Rodney
Johnklaas and Peter Throkmorton, all of
them belonged to the second category. Mano Fernando’s Sinhalese translation
emerged after an elapse well – nigh four decades from the publication of the
English book of Arthur C. Clarkes’. These books impart a wealth of knowledge on
the pioneering under water jaunts Arthur C.Clarke’s clan as no professional diver
has endeavoured to record one’s experiences for posterity.
In the wake of launching of scientific
study of the systematic maritime archaeology in Sri Lanka the wrecks beneath the seas and the Galle
Harbour made a pivotal point of study for the local maritime archaeology
students and for the foreigner’s alike. This book would serve somewhat as a
guide line for these students.
Mr.Dharma Sri Kandamby with his stint at
the Colombo National Museum as a Curator in Zoology made me to think
incisively to ransack these Arthur C.
Clarke’s books on his underwater explorations to study natural history of Galle
This writer as a journalist in the Sunday Times newspaper during the tenure of
Mr.Vijitha Yapa the founder Editor
hunted for copies of same and discovered
the moth-eaten books, which were not permitted to photocopy at the Colombo Public Library special
collection to read and re-read same. My this study led me to another detailed
article published in the ' Loris '
itself entitled 'Buona Vista (
Rhumassala ) in the annals of Natural
History, with a captivating water colour
painting done by that artist of repute, Subudite Sita de Saram. Apart from
these articles ,the confabulation that I had with late Shesha Palihakkara that flambouyant character in the local film
arena on the first underwater colour movie
‘Ranmutuduwa’ continued to whet
my interest with the extensive discussions I had with him as a YMBA hosteller
in the Fort Colombo.
. In writing this article in this ' Loris
' magazine this writer had the occasion to interview for Arthur C. Clarke ,
Rodney Jonklaas that internationally acclaimed driver and Gamini Fonseka that
celluloid icon.Richard Boyle serialized reminisce three part article of Mike
Wilson in the ' Sunday Times' newspaper
who was a recluse as Swamy Sivakalki’ perhaps it coincided with his death.
Mano Fernando’s translation on the
Treasure of the Great Reef [ Mahagalwetiye Muhudubath Nidanaya
] continues to fascinate my interest as Vieneese painter Baron Eugene de
Ransonett’s ‘Sketches of Ceylon’ published in 1867 drawn during his
sojourn in Ceylon in 1864.The
inestimable value of paintings were highlighted in one earlier work R K de
Silva’s ‘Early Prints in Ceylon’ published in 1986 and a more recent work
written by Rohan Pethiyagoda’s entitled : ‘Pearl Spices and Green Gold’
published by the Wildlife Heritage Trust in 2000. This year is the sesquicentinnary
of these painting Mano Fernando’s translation coincides with this remarkable event.
All these irresistible sense of nostalgia
continues to haunt me on the jaunts of underwater on the deep blue ocean
beneath the seas of Sri Lanka. Mano
Fernando’s excellent Sinhalese translation on the Reefs of Taprobane [ Maha
Galwetiya Muhudubath Nidanaya ] would fill a void that hitherto existed for
the diving enthusiasts , gung – ho
naturalists maritime archaeology student alike as a must read and must
re-read this under water miscellany in Sinhalese.
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