called the Panck Pandoo. 113 



The above is a slight description of these caves from a short 

 visit to tiiem during a day's residence at Bang. 



In the total absence of books, or references of any description, 

 it would be temerity in nie to indulge in any speculations, or 

 advance any opinion respecting the figures or other parts of these 

 caves. This part of the suliject I must therefore leave to the 

 slight sketches which my time enabled me to make. 



Conterning the origin or use of these caves the natives have 

 Ro tradition. They derive their name from the same fabulous 

 tradition as all remains of Hindu antiquity. They were exca- 

 vated by the " Panch Pandoos," those celebrated he^'oes of In- 

 dian mythology to whom all wonders are referred. 



In concluding I may remark, that the jungle covering this moun- 

 tainous tract presents (at least at this season of the year) nothing 

 novel for the gratification of the botanist. The northern and 

 the thickest parts consist for the most part of the teak {Tectona 

 grandis Thunb.) and blackwood trees {Dalliergia latijblia 

 Ro>4b.} with the Feronia elephantnm and Erythrina Indica Linn. 

 Tlie more open parts consist chiefly of the JButeafrondosa; the 

 hahooi {Acacia Jrabica Linn.), the gum tree {Cordia ohliqua 

 Wild.), the bayr tree {Zizyphus Jujuda Koenig), and Merinda 

 nmhellala ; the digging the roots of the latter plant, for the use 

 of the dyers, giving employment to many of the poorer class in 

 the villages skirting the jungle. 



Both this last and the Morinda citrifolia are cultivated also 

 in many parts of this country. In one place there were several of 

 the pudding pipe trees {Cassia Fistula Linn); but as they were 

 near the site of a ruined village, these were most probably not 

 natives of this jungle. 



Cainp at Mhow, May 1318. 



NOTE BY MR. ERSKINE. 



Captain Dangerfield having politely permitted me to add any 

 observations to his paper which the subject suggests, I shall be 

 excused for observing that it exhil)its a very complete account of 

 a Bouddhist temple, and of the first excavation of that class that 

 has been described in the country in which it is situated. It 

 adds another to the examples of Bouddhist excavations found in 

 India, in countries where we have no historical record that the 

 religion of Bouddh ever existed, and where not a single individual 

 of the sect is now to be found. That the excavations are 

 Bouddhist there seems to be no reason to doubt. The figure and 

 attitude of the contemplative Bouddh are not to be mistaken; 

 the Cknrna, or as it is sometimes called, the Daghop, in this as 

 in other Bouddhist temples, is the principal object of veneration ; 



Vol. 5G. No. 268. Aug. 1820. P it 



