I860.] 



Description of the Okandrarelchagurhk 



183 



About 15 yards within the edge of the second ditch rises the wall 

 of the Fort which, as far as I could follow it, is continuous the whole 

 way round. It was built of excellently chiselled stones of ordinary 

 size, about four or five feet thick, and about 15 feet high, though 

 thei-e is not that height standing anywhere that I saw ; 12 or 13 feet 

 I measured. The care bestowed on this wall is most unusual. There 

 is no attempt at extravagant massiness, but what was done was done 

 thoroughly well. At different places are projecting bastions, simple 

 square rooms of 20 feet each way, standing out from the line. They 

 are quite square and clean at the angles. The villagers said there 

 were two such on each side. I think there was also one at each corner. 

 The wall is veiy much in ruins now, but there is plenty left to shew 

 what a handsome thing it must have been. On the south side is a 

 huge tower in ruins, but that is the work of the Trigonometrical Survey, 

 I believe. It is quite out of character with the rest, certainly, by its 

 very size. 



The interior of the Fort presents nothing whatever to suggest habi- 

 tation, except the one extraordinary building in the centre. In its 

 simplicity, neatness and thoroughness, it harmonizes exactly Avith the 

 exterior defences. I give a plan of it in the margin. It has but three 

 rooms, of the size shewn in the plan. The 

 walls are of the same nicely cut laterite, 

 about 3 feet thick, and 11 feet high from 

 *■ the true ground level to the top of the 

 " cornicing. It is not in very good preser- 

 vation above the 8th foot from the ground, 

 but so far almost perfect. The cornicing is 

 of the same simple character as the whole Fort, (of the shape shewn in 

 the woodcut on page 184) and runs all round the whole of the three 

 rooms. The upper half of the cornice is like the lower, reversed, but 

 at regular intervals there are little square bosses as at the basement 

 of the wall, which is ornamented in the same simple style, thus :— 



■ . 'r\ *^__ : 



s yd* 



14 yds 



hxjdi 



