72 50ME ACCOUNT OF THE 



Over this temple, at a confiderable elevation, is a fmaller, 

 wrought from a {ingle mafs of (tone. Here is feen a 

 flab fimilar to the Dherma Rajah's couch. Adjoin- 

 ing is a temple in the rough, and a large mafs of 

 rock, the upper part roughly fafhioned for a pagoda. 

 If a conclufion may he drawn from thefe unfinifhed 

 works, an uncommon and affonifhing perfeverance 

 was exerted in finifhing the ftructures here; and the 

 more fo, from the ftone being a fpecies of granite, 

 and extremely hard. 



The village contains but few houfes, moftly in- 

 habited by Brahmens ; the number of whom has, how- 

 ever, decreafed of late, owing to a want of the means 

 of fubfifting. The remains ol feveral ftone edifices 

 are feen here; and a large tank, lined, with fteps of 

 Hone. A canopy for the pagod attracts the attention, 

 as by no means wanting in magnificence or elegance. 

 It is fupportedby four columns, with bafe and capital, 

 about twenty-feven feet in height, the fhaft tapering 

 regularly upwards; is compofed of a (ingle ftone, 

 though not round, but fixtcen fided; meafuring at bot- 

 tom about five and a half feet. 



Eaft of the village, and warned by the fea, which, 

 perhaps, would have entirely demolifhed it before now, 

 but for a defence of large ftones in front, is a pagoda 

 of ftone, and containing the lingam y was dedicated to 

 Si'va. Befides the ufual figures within, one of a gigantic 

 ftature is obferved ftretched out on the ground, and re- 

 prefented as fecured in that pofition. This the Brah- 

 mens tell you was, defigned tor a Rajah who was thus 

 fecured by Vishnu; probably alluding to a prince of 

 the Vishnu can: having conquered the country, and 

 taken its prince. The furf here breaks far out over, 

 as the Brahmens inform you, the ruins of the city, 

 which was incredibly large and magnificent. Many 

 of the mafies of done near the fhore appear to have 

 been wrought. A Brahmen y about fifty years of 

 age, a native of the place, whom I have had an 



opportunity 



