36 NA-TIRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



fuchaftatein one of the human fpecies, herchaftlty 

 became fufpe(9:ed. Her father quefiioned her upon 

 the fubjedl, and to hhn Ihe explained the myftery. 

 At night the Rajah, by her directions, hid hiinfelf in 

 a convenient fituation, and beheld the wonderful me- 

 tamorphoiis. He lamented that his fon-in-law fhould 

 ever rcfume the uncouth difguife, and to prevent it, 

 fet the afs's ikin on fire. Gundiiufsp^in perceived it, 

 and though rejoiced at the termination of his exile, 

 denounced the impending refentment oflNDER, for 

 his difappointcd vengeance. He warned his wife to liee; 

 for, faid he, my earthly tenement is now confuming, 

 I return to heaven, and this city will be overwhelmed 

 with a fhower of earth. The princefs fled to a village 

 at fome diltance, where fhe brought forth a fon, 

 named Vicramadittya, and a Ihower of earth 

 falling from heaven, buried the city and its inhabitants. 

 It is faid to have been cold earth, and to have fallen 

 in fmall quantity upon the fields all around, to the 

 diftance of feveral cofs^ but to a great depth on the 

 tovvns^ 



On the fpot where the ancient city is faid to have 

 ftood, by digging to the depth of from fifteen to 

 eighteen feet, they find brick walls entire, pillars of 

 flone, and pieces of wood, of an extraordinary hard- 

 nets. The bricks, thus dug up, are ufed for building, 

 and fome of them are of a much larger fize than any 

 made in the prefcnt, or late ages. Utenhls of various 

 kinds are fometimes dug up in tlie fame places, and 

 ancient coins are found, cither by digging, or in the 

 channels cut by the periodical rains ; having been 

 waflred. away^ or their earthly covering removed by 

 the torrents. During our Hay at Oiije'm^ a large quantity 

 of Vv'heat was found by a man in digging for bricks. 

 It was, as might have been expe(fled, almofl entirely 

 confumed, and in a ftate refembling charcoal. The 

 earth of which this mound is compofed, being foft, 

 is cut into ravines, by the rains ; and in one of thefe^, 

 from which Icvcral ftone pillars had been dug, I faw 

 a ipace, from twelve to fifteen feet long, and feven or 

 2 eight 



