30 ROUTE TO ELLORA. 



The entire piece was recited in metrical verse of 

 strongly accentuated rhythm. I never listened to 

 anything more monotonous, especially not understand- 

 ing the language, for holding the translation in my 

 hand was but a poor substitute. All the actors wore 

 masks, or had their dark faces painted ghastly white, 

 not unlike the clowns in our pantomime. The horses 

 brought on the stage in gaudy tinsel trappings seemed 

 to create a great deal more amusement amongst the 

 audience than all the niceties and beauty of Persian 

 verse. 



It was a fearfully hot day on which I started, soon after 

 noon, from the Byculla station for Ellora — I had better 

 confess it at once — to see more rehgious monuments, 

 bearing, however, quite a different character to those 

 I have already described, for these at Ellora are rock-cut 

 temples, hewn out of the side of the hill, and completely 

 severed from their mother earth, excepting at their 

 base, being in fact enormous monoliths, whilst those of 

 Elephanta and Karlee are essentially cave temples 

 •cut into the hill. But I'll begin by stating how I got 

 to my destination. 



Some nine hours' rail brought me to Nandgaum 

 station, where I passed part of the night at the d4k 

 bungalow, or travellers' rest-house, erected by the 



