1877.] Major Godivin-Austen, and Dr. Cayley. 5 



derived is well shown in the Nubra Valley in Ladak. In this valley, both 

 below its junction with the Shyok and also up the valley of the Shyok 

 river, are to be seen here and there enormous blocks of granite, some as big 

 as a cottage, lying at various distances from the bed of the river. These 

 blocks are from the mountains near the Kumdan glaciers. A few years ago, 

 these glaciers extended across and blocked up the upper valley of the Shyok 

 river. After a time, the ice barrier gave way before the force of the water 

 above, and enormous masses of ice were carried down by the flood through 

 the Shyok and Nubra Valley, and deposited these blocks of stone in their 

 course. 



2. — An Imperial Assemhlage Jield at Delhi ^QOO years ago. — By Rajendea- 



LALA MiTEA, LL. D. 



(Abstract.) 

 The ceremony of Imperial baptism was, in ancient times, called the 

 Mdjasuya, and the Aitareya Brahmana of the Rig Veda gives a list of ten 

 persons who had celebrated it in remote periods of antiquity. The one best 

 known to the people is, however, that which was celebrated by the Pandava 

 brothers. It had a twofold character ; first, the subjugation of a large 

 number of princes and chiefs who had to acknowledge allegiance and vas- 

 salage ; and secondly, a round of sacrifices and ceremonial observances spread- 

 ing over a period of one year and a fortnight, from the full-moon day of 

 March to the first new-moon of the year following. The observances of 

 the first four months were in some respects similar to the Lent of the 

 Christian Church. On the last day, after the offering of many oblations to 

 the fire, the chanting of innumerable Sama hymns, and repeated invocations 

 of the Vedic gods Indra, Savita, Rudra, Soma, and the Maruts, eighteen 

 different kinds of fluids were consecrated and showered on the king through 

 a golden rosehead. The king was then made to take three ste^^s forwards 

 towards each of the four quarters of the globe, and then, mounted on a chariot, 

 driven towards a herd of cattle, the foremost animal of which he touched 

 with the tip of his bow in token of his having accomplished a successful 

 cattle-lifting raid. Sacrifices of a bull, a j)regnant heifer and some goats 

 next followed. The king offered an argTiya to the most revered among his 

 guests, and received the allegiance of his allies, tributaries, vassals, and 

 friends ; and the ceremony was brought to a conclusion by the priests offer- 

 ing to the newly-anointed sovereign a cup of Soma beer and a goblet of 

 arrack, which he quaffed. The object of the ceremony is stated to be that 

 the person inaugurated by it " should conquor in all the various ways of 

 conquest ; to subjugate all people ; that he should attain to leadership, 

 precedence, and supremacy over all kings, and attain everywhere and at 

 all times to universal sovereignty, enjoyment of pleasures, independence, 



