Vol. VIII, No. 3.] Padre Marco della Tomba. 111 
[W.S.] 
In Cunningham’s time the people ascribed the outrage to 
the Musalmans. But, have we not here Father Marco making 
a clean breast of the whole matter ? During his journey from 
Bettiah to Nepal in October 1762, he joined a number of 
Christian soldiers from engal—Topazes or Portuguese half- 
caste gunners apparently —then on their way to join the forces 
of ‘‘ Casmalican,’’ the Nawab of Patna, and make an attack 
see whether it was of a piece with the rest. Our archeologists 
now would lynch a man for such vandalism. But, let them 
not be too hard on Padre Marco! The marvellous ingenuity 
of his confession clearly proves that he meant no harm, an 
little harm was done after all, Would that some of our arche- 
ologists had not sinned more grievously in the interests of 
science. 
There are two objections against our identification :— 
1. The pillar is said by Marco to be to the east of Bettiah, 
_ whereas the hau uriya-Navandgarh pillar is to the north-north- 
west of it.2 Marco’s orientation must be at fault; for no 
pillars are now known to the east of Bettiah. The Ra ampurva 
pillars are 32 miles due north of Bettiah in direct lines. 
2. The Lauriya-Navandgarh pillar as measured by Cun- 
ningham stands 32 feet 94 inches high between the ground 
and the capital, the total height including the lion being rather 
more than 39} feet.? Now, taking the cubit to be equal to 
18 inches, we obtain, according to Father Marco’s measure- 
ments, 40 ‘feet 6 inches up to the capital, a considerable differ- 
ence. It is not soe on ge that the pillar should have sunk a 
few feet in a century ; but, how did Father Marco aekesaitis 
the height? By actual measurements or at sight? Besides, 
let us bear in mind that the cubit is an unsatisfactory unit to 
work upon, and that the same measurements are given for 
both pillars observed, which is suspicious. The circumference 
at the base, according to Cunningham, is 9 feet 3 inches ; 
according to Marco della Tomba, it was 10 feet 6 inches. 
Does the difference imply again that the pillar has sunk, or 
—— - explain it by the indefiniteness of the cubit asa 
measure ? 
These difficulties notwithstanding, we believe the identi- 

1 Cf. A. de Fae toe Gli scritte del ii tom della Tomba, p. 17. 
2 Cf. A. 8. R., I, p. 104, and plat 
Gabernais: is pigs wate: en when he aks that the pillar with the 
capital is, according to Cu sik Yoak. “gt gs srs (Scritti, p. xxxvii). 
Cf. CUNNINGHAM, dee Inscript. Indic., I, p. 4 
