JUNE 1769 A LARGE MARAI 103 



The foundation was of rock stone, likewise squared; the 

 corner-stone measured 4 feet *7 inches by 2 feet 4 inches. 

 The building made part of one side of a spacious area walled 

 in with stone ; the size of this, which seemed to be intended 

 for a square, was 118 by 110 paces, and it was entirely 

 paved with flat paving-stones. It is almost beyond belief 

 that Indians could raise so large a structure without the 

 assistance of iron tools to shape their stones or mortar to 

 join them ; which last appears almost essential, as most of 

 them are round : but it is done, and almost as firmly as an 

 European workman would have done it, though in some 

 things they seem to have failed. The steps for instance, 

 which range along its greatest length, are not straight ; they 

 bend downward in the middle, forming a small segment of 

 a circle. Possibly the ground may have sunk a little under 

 the immense weight of such a great pile ; such a sinking, if it 

 took place regularly, would have this effect. The labour of 

 the work is prodigious, the quarried stones are but few, but 

 they must have been brought by hand from some distance ; 

 at least we saw no signs of a quarry near it, though I looked 

 carefully about me. The coral must have been fished up 

 from under the water, where indeed it is most plentiful, but 

 usually covered with at least three or four feet of water, and 

 generally with much more. The labour of forming the 

 blocks when obtained must also have been at least as great 

 as that employed in getting them. The natives have not 

 shown us any way by which they could square a stone 

 except by means of another, which must be a most tedious 

 process, and liable to many accidents through tools breaking. 

 The stones are also polished as well and as truly as stones 

 of the kind could be by the best workman in Europe ; in that 

 particular they excel, owing to the great plenty of a sharp 

 coral sand which is admirably adapted to the purpose, and 

 which is found everywhere upon the sea-shore in this neigh- 

 bourhood. 



About a hundred yards to the west of this building was 

 another court or paved area, in which were several JEwhattas, 

 a kind of altar raised on wooden pillars about seven feet 



