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this was a room about eight feet square, the diameter of the inte- 

 rior of the tower, some stories above the supposed receptacle of 

 the treasure. In the floor of this closet we observed a hole in the 

 bricks and chunam, of which it was composed, sufficiently large 

 for a slender person to pasS through. We enlarged the opening, 

 and sent down two men by a ladder. After descending several feet 

 they came to another chunam floor, with a similar aperture; this 

 also being enlarged and torches procured, I perceived from the 

 upper room that it was a gloomy dungeon of great depth. I de- 

 sired the men to enter it and search for the treasure, which they 

 positively reused, alleging that throughout Hindostan, wherever 

 money was concealed, there existed one of the genii, in the mortal 

 form of a snake, to guard it. I laughed at their credulity, and 

 enforced the order for their immediate descent with some energy. 

 My attendants sympathized in their feelings, and, under a deep 

 impression of fear, seemed to wait the event in a sort of awful 

 expectation. The ladder being too short to reach the floor of this 

 subterraneous cell, I ordered strong ropes and additional torches 

 to assist their descent. They at length reluctantly complied, and. 

 by the lights held in their hands, during a slow progress down the 

 ropes, we could distinguish, through the gloom, the dark sides and 

 moist floor of the dungeon. They had not been many seconds in 

 search of the treasure, when they called out vehemently that 

 they were enclosed with a large snake, and their cries, ascend- 

 ing from this dismal abyss, were most horrible. I still remained 

 incredulous, and would not suffer the ropes for facilitating their 

 escape to be lowered until I had seen the serpent. Their 

 screams were dreadful, and my resolution inflexible; until at 



VOL. II. 3 d 



