98 
parliament which ‘vas pafled, in 
1708, for improving the union of the 
two kingdoms, that put an end to 
torture, by enacting, among other 
favourable regulations, that no per- 
fon accufed of any crime in Scot- 
land fhall be liable to torture. * 
a 
Defcription of the Great Pagoda of 
Madura, and the Choultry of Tri- 
mul Naik, 4y Mr. Blackader. 
From the fame. 
URING my refidence in India, 
I was ftationed for feveral 
years at Madura, on the Coromandel 
coaft, about three hundred miles 
from fort St. George, and about fe- 
-venty miles from the fea. 
' Inthis diftri@ there are fituated 
fome of the moft magnificent build- 
ings now to be met with in India, 
whether we confider their immenfe 
fe, or the richnefs of the workman- 
fhip; and thefe edifices are render- 
ed objets of great curiofity to the 
European obferver, by the fingu- 
larity of their architeéture, which is 
different from any thing to be feen 
in other countries. I was much 
ftruck with thefe remarkable monu- 
ments of the Hindoo talte and 
grandeur, What added to my afto- 
nilhment was the incredible labour 
which muft have attended their erec- 
tion, from the ignorance of the na- 
tives in the application of the me- 
chanical powers; fo that I became 
particularly folicitous to have it in’ 
my power to convey fome idea of 
them to thofe who make antiquities 
more particularly their ftudy. 
The religion of the Hindoos con- 
fifts of the worlhip of only one deity, 
bat the names by which he is known 
‘in different diftrits are very nu- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
merous, as are alfo the various forrié 
under which he is reprefented. 4n 
honoar of this deity an edifice or 
temple is erected; in the centre is 
placed his image, before which the 
religious ceremonies of the prietts 
are performed. 
or open fpace, enclofed by one or 
more walls of a fuflicient height 
almoft wholly to conceal it. Be- 
fides the temple, there is a very large 
and high building which makes 2 
part of the wall, being half enclofed 
by it, through which is the entrance 
into the area, This may be confi- 
dered as a fteeple, not being intend- 
ed for any other purpofe than that 
of attracting the public attention, 
having only a fmall apartment in 
each ftory, anda ftaircafe leading to 
the top. Thefe two buildings are 
fimilar in fhape externally, differ- 
ing only in fize. The fmaller 
building contains the apartment for 
the adoration of the deity, which 
is lighted by lamps, there being no 
openings to admit the light; and the 
larger one at the lower part forms a 
magnificent gateway or entrance 
quite through it, each ftory having a 
{mall lateral window. 
The infide of the wall enclofing 
the area has fometimes a fingle or 
double colonade all round; which 
being covered over, the top forms = 
a parapet for the purpofes of defence 
in time of war. 
As the temples are by much too 
fmall to contain the great concourfe 
of people who come to celebrate the 
public feltivals and worfhip the 
deity, there is in general a large = 
building for that purpofe attached 
to it, called a choultry, which iscom= 
pofed of a number of columns at 
certain diftances, and covered with 
a flat roof; thefe vary in a 
an 
The building isin | 
general fmall, and firuated inan area 
~ 
