189.1] Alexander E. Caddy — Asoka Inscri'ptmis in India. 165 



plaster was preparing, I availed myself of an invitation from Mr. 

 Minchin at Asha. (Mr. Minchin, I may note, is the gentleman who has 

 identified himself with the manufacturing industry of the country, to 

 whose enterprise is due the prosperity of the present sugarcane culti- 

 vators.) I was in some hope of seeing a photograph of the Jaugada in- 

 scription when it was intact in 1857. Mr. Minchin took the negatives 

 home with him, and left them at the India Office at the request of the 

 Madras Government. Nothing has since been heard of them. He was, 

 however, instrumental in drawing the attention of Grovernment to its 

 possible defacement from the chipping off of the rock-surface. 



I was not, however, to see them, as Mr. Minchin was disappointed 

 to find he had not a copy left. 



42. All that remains of the ancient fort of Jaugada is an immense 

 enclosure within a moat and a running mound, J 5 to 20 feet hio-h, which 

 is entered at several openings where gates have been. 



Within this square enclosure two or three piles of granite rocks 

 are most picturesquel}^ grouped, and west of the glen, where the pi-in- 

 cipal structures have been, indications of which still exist, an immense 

 rock rises up with a circular outline, on the perpendicular face of which 

 Asoka's edicts have been engraved. There are two sets of edicts ; the 

 left-hand tablet bearing the edicts common to the Girnar, Shahbazo<iri 

 and Khalsi rocks, and the right-hand ones, enclosed within a line border, 

 bearing symbols at the corners — local edicts addressed to the officers 

 governing the state of Samdpa — a name unidentified in the ancient 

 geography of India. Most probably Samdpa was a city on the banks 

 of the Rishikulya close by. Magnificent banian trees have avenued the 

 road along the riverside, a remnant few of which are still to be seen. 

 The inscription was first brought to notice by Sir W, Elliott, when it 

 was more perfect. An attempt to make an impression of it has des- 

 troyed the larger part of the inscription since. There used to be a 

 double-storied house close to this rock occupied by ^ jogi, obscurino- the 

 view of the edicts, when earlier sets of photographs of the inscription 

 were taken. It has since been demolished. 



43. On my completing this work I came through EamhJia, at the 

 southern extremity of the Cliilka lake and 28 miles from Jauo-ada 

 whence I had the pleasant experience of sailing across the Cliilka lake in 

 a country-boat with a great mat sail. Old Buddhist traditions cling to 

 the water-borne population here. Boats still carry on their prows 

 Buddhist emblems whose purpose or meaning is absolutely forgotten. 



44. Coming into Orissa I proceeded to Khurda, where Mr. 

 McPhersou very kindly made me his guest, and arranged for my travell- 

 ing and camp at both Khandagiri and JDhauli ; the whole distance from 



