TE PITO TE HENUA. OR EASTEB ISLAM'. 



493 



appears to have been to select a suitable roclc upon which the image 

 was sketched in a reclining position. The upper surface having been 

 carved into shape and entirely finished, the last work was to cut the 

 back loose from the rock. This necessitated the exercise of great care 

 to prevent the breaking off of exposed portions, and was accomplished 

 by building piles of stones to sustain the weight while it was being un- 

 dermined. 



Ninety-three statues in all, similar to those shown in Figs. 11 and 12, 

 were counted inside the crater, and of these forty are standing up. com- 

 pleted and ready to be transported to the platforms for which they were. 



" m 





n. 

 i.m iGB: i; \na Bob \ka (front \ 



Fig. l'-'. 

 Image: Rana Robaka (baci view). 



intended. They stand well down towards the bottom of the slope, and 

 are more or less buried in the earth by the washings from above, as 

 shown in Figs. 13 and 14. 



The work of lowering the huge images from the upper terraces to the 

 bottom of the crater ;ni<i tlience over the wall and down into the plain 

 below, was of great magnitude, and we are lost in wonder thai so much 

 could be accomplished by rude savages ignorant of everything in the 

 way of mechanical appliances. The, average weight of these statues 

 would be something between LO and 12 tons, bul some are very large 



and would weigh over 40 tons. It i.s possible that a slide was made, 

 upon which the Images were launched to the level ground below; 

 a number of broken and damaged figures lie in a position to suggest 

 that idea, bul from the bottom of the crater they were transported up 

 and over the wall and thence over hill and dale to various points all 



over tin- island. Excavations were made at different points inside the 



