154 Alexander E. Caddy — Asoha tnscriptiovs in India. [Nov. 



6. Taking the mail train at Howrali on the night of the 15th, I 

 reached Mokameh Ghat the next morning. The railway ferry took ns 

 on to the Bengal and North-Western Railway line at Semaria Ghat, 

 and a day's run brought ns into Bettiah. 



7. In Champaran there are two pillars bearing identical edicts 

 with those on the Allahabad and Delhi columns, one 20 miles north, 

 and the other 21 miles south of Bettiah. The villages in which they 

 stand are both called Lauriijaj and a second local name is necessary to 

 distinguish them. Near the northern pillar there is the old ruin of the 

 foi't of Navandgarh ; near the southern column are the large market 

 village and the Mahadeo temple of AramJ. The two Lauriyas are 

 distinguished by these names respectively. 



The simple term Lauriya would imply the Navandgarh Lauriya by 

 reason of its being a larger village, its having a post-office and a police 

 outpost, and of the main road to Nepal passing through it. The Araraj 

 Lauriya stood first in the order in which I should take the inscriptions, 

 and there 1 first went. 



The two Lauriyas are reached from Bettiah. I rode to Barhanva 

 on an elephant ; hence to the column at Lauriya Araraj in a bullock 

 coach. 



8. The Sub-Deputy Opium Agent, Mr. Bean, asked me down to 

 BarJiarwa, a village four miles west of Araraj and the head-quarters of 

 his agency. I found every convenience for my work of preparation here, 

 and I have reason to thank Mr. Bean for the facilities he afforded me. 



The rains and floods had just before breaking made traffic difficul- 

 ties at Mokameh Ghat somewhat serious. My gypsum had not reached 

 Bettiah, nor my tents. The latter I had determined to leave at Bettiah 

 till I went north, as tent equipage was already at my disposal. 



The work of grinding and sifting gypsum got on apace. An oven 

 had been built in deference to the wishes of my modellers, who w^ere 

 not acquainted with the boiling method (as the Madras process is 

 termed), and which was finally adopted. 



A few canisters of plaster being ready, and the weather permitting, 

 we went into camp at Lauriya Araraj. 



9. The Araraj column stands just by the threshing-floor of the 

 village. It is a sandstone monolith 36| feet high and 120 inches in 

 girth at the inscription. The southern side still retains its beautifully 

 polished surface ; on the other side a lichen has slightly abraded it. 

 The inscription is intact. 



The work before us was much heavier than we had imagined, and 

 it took proportionately longer doing. 



On the 21st November I had the satisfaction of seeing the inscribed 



