SCULPTURES AT MAHABALIPOORUM. 73 



opportunity of converting with lince my arrival at 

 Madras, informed me, his grandfather had frequently- 

 mentioned having feen the gilt tops of five pagodas in 

 the furf, no longer vifible. In the account of this 

 place by Mr. William Chambers, in the firft volume 

 of the Afiatick Refe arches, we find mention of a brick 

 pagoda, dedicated to Si'va, and wafhed by the fea$ 

 this is no longer vifible ; but as the Brahmens have no 

 recollection of fuch a ftruclure, and as Mr. Chambers 

 wrote from memory, I am inclined to think the pa- 

 goda of ftone mentioned above to be the one he means. 

 However, it appears from good authorities, that the 

 fea on this part of the coaft is encroaching by very 

 flow, but no lefs certain fteps, and will perhaps in a 

 lapfe of ages entirely hide thefe magnificent ruins. 



About a mile to the fouthward are other ftruclures 

 of ftone, of the fame order as thofe north, but having 

 been left unfinished, at fir ft light appear different: the 

 Touthermoft of thefe is about forty feet in height, twen- 

 ty-nine in breadth, and nearly the fame in length, 

 hewn from a fmgle mafs: the outfide is covered with 

 fculpture, (for an account of which fee Infcriptions:) 

 the next is alio cut from one mafs of ftone, being in 

 length about forty-nine fcet t in breadth and height 

 twenty-five, and is rent through the middle from the 

 top to the bottom j a large fragment from one corner 

 is obferved on the ground: No account is preferved of 

 the powerful caufe which produced this deftructive 

 effect. Befide thefe, are three fmaller ftruclures of 

 itone. Here is alfo thzjingam> or lion, very large, but, 

 except in fize, I can obferve no difference from the 

 figures of the fame animal northerly. Near the fino am , 

 is an elephant of ftone about nine feet in height, and 

 large in proportion: Here, indeed, we obferve the true 

 figure and character of the animal. 



The 



