74 OLDHAM : THE CACHAR EARTHQUAKE OE 10TH JANUARY 1869. 



lower of these, so that it was partly hidden. From this rose the rect- 

 angular body or mass of the tomb, which was constructed of white marble 

 admirably cut and moulded, and laid round and on a solid brickwork 

 case or centre. The base mouldings rose to a height of 1 foot 1| inches 

 and above them were plain slabs of marble 1 foot 9 1 inches high ; in the 

 centre of the southern face was inserted a black marble tablet which 

 carried the inscription, and which measured 2 feet 8 inches x 1 foot 

 3 inches. The plaques or slabs of marble used for the sides of this portion 

 of the body of the tomb were about 1 inch thick, and some had obviously 

 been in use before, as they were polished on the back as well as face. They 

 were built up against the brickwork core, but there evidently had been the 

 slightest possible adhesion, the surface of the mortar between them and the 

 brickwork being as smooth and polished as themselves ; they were secured 

 by being partially jointed and by small and much too slight copper 

 clamps measuring | inch by 5 inch in section let into the slabs and 

 leaded. 



The large upper slab, with small pillow ends, was then merely laid 

 on the others. The lower surface was finely chiselled and dressed for a 

 breadth of five inches all round, so as to admit of close neat joints, the 

 rest of the under surface being roughly tooled down to the level. There 

 had obviously been but very little mortar used in the bedding, and it 

 may safely be taken as merely laid on the body of the tomb for the 

 cohesion if any must have been exceedingly slight. 



The railing round the tomb was of f inch square iron, let and 

 leaded into the lower of the two steps of the floor on which the tomb 

 was raised. The upright bars passed through and were leaded into a 

 flat tie piece, of 2. inches by 4, and the upper ends, projecting 5 inches, 

 had been flattened and shaped out into rude spear heads. There was also 

 a second outer fence consisting of stone pillars, with chains suspended 

 between, as seen in the drawings. 



It will thus be seen that the tomb consisted of a brickwork core 

 covered with plaques of marble ; and this core was divided into two por- 

 tions by a slab of marble which extended right through the tomb ; this 

 ( 74 ) 



