ADAM'S PEAK. 105 



Marshall came to a very steep part of the road, he found a succession of 

 these walking sticks stuck firmly in the earth, and bundles of rods laid 

 horizontally behind them, by which means tolerable steps were formed. 

 As, however, pilgrimages by the road they came had almost wholly ceased, 

 since the dominion of the English, all these conveniences were rapidly 

 going to decay. On the sixth day of their journey, when they were 

 four days going about six miles, the guides were frequently at a loss to 

 distinguish the path they ought to follow from the tracks of wild 

 elephants through the jungle. On reaching the top of a very high hill, 

 they had a near view of the peak, which rose before them like an immense 

 acuminated or sharp pointed dome. The next morning our travellers 

 approached a small river; from this the pathway went up a narrow 

 rugged ravine: in the wet season, this is the bed of a torrent, and 

 impassable. Thick jungle and lofty trees threw a wild gloom over this 

 hollow, and intercepted the view. Their way was now more difficult than 

 ever, as the superior portion of the peak consists of an immense cone of 

 granitic rock, but very partially covered with vegetation. The track over 

 several places of this cone is quite abrupt, and where the pathway leads 

 over a bare declevitous rock (tending to some fearful precipice), there 

 are steps cut in the stone, and iron chains so fixed as to lie along the 

 steps, for the purpose of assisting passengers in ascending and descending. 

 Mr. M. and his friend reached the top of the cone about two hours after 

 they had begun to ascend at its base ; they found that its narrow apex, 

 which was only twenty-three paces long by eighteen broad, was sur- 

 rounded by a wall, in which there were two distinct openings to admit 

 pilgrims, corresponding with the two tracks, by which alone the mountain 

 could be ascended. The elevation of this apex is 6,800 feet above the 

 level of the sea; the granitic peak or cone resting upon a very high 

 mountain, belonging to the chain which forms the rampart of the upper 

 country. Nearly in the centre of the enclosed area they saw a large rock, 

 one side of which is shelving, and can be easily ascended. On the top 

 of this mass, which is of granite, there stands a small square wooden 

 shed, fastened to the rock, as also to the outer walls, by means of heavy 

 chains. This security is necessary, to prevent the edifice being hurled 

 from its narrow base, by the violence of the winds. The roof and posts 

 of this little building, which is used to cover the Sri Pade, or holy 

 foot mark, was adorned with flowers and artificial figures, made of party 

 colored cloth ; this foot they found to have been made in part by the 

 chisel, and partly by elevating its outer border with mortar; all the 

 elevations which mark the spaces between the toes of the foot, have been 



