Archeological Survey Report. el 
round hole for the reception of a post, or more probably of a flag-staff. 
The lowest of these stones can only be reached by a ladder, but 
ladders must have been always available, if, as I suppose, it was 
customary on stated occasions to fix flags and streamers on various 
parts of the building, in the same manner as is now done in the 
Buddhist countries of Burmah and Ladak. 
238. With the single exception of the Taj Mahal at Agra, there 
is perhaps no Indian building that has been so often described as 
the great Buddhist tower near Sarnath. But strange to say, its 
dimensions have always been very much under-stated, although the 
circumference might have been very closely ascertained, with the 
greatest ease, in a few minutes, by measuring, either with a walking 
stick or with the fore-arm, the breadth of one projecting face and of 
one recess, which together form one-eighth of the whole. H. H. 
Wilson, quoting Wilford, states that “ Sarnath is about 50 feet hich, 
and may be as many paces in circumference.”” Miss Emma Roberts 
states that it is “ about 150 feet in circumference,” and “ above 100 
feet in height.”” Mr. Fergusson calls it “ between 50 and 60 feet in 
diameter, and 110 feet in height.” This last statement of the height 
is correct, having been taken from a note of mine, which was published 
by Mr. Thomas in the Bengal Asiatic Society’s Journal. This 
height was carefully measured by myself with an iron chain in 
January 1835, by means of the scaffolding which I had put up for 
the purpose of opening the tower. By a previous measurement with 
a theodolite I had found the height to be 109 feet 10 inches. The 
breadth of one projecting face and of one recess is 86 feet 6 inches, 
which multiplied by 8 give 292 feet as the circumference, and a 
trifle less than 93 feet as the diameter, or nearly double the thick- 
ness stated by any one of the authorities just quoted. 
239. On the 18th January, 1835, my scaffolding was completed, 
and I stood on the top of the great tower. On cutting the long grass, 
I found two iron spikes, each 8 inches long, and shaped like the head 
of alance. On the following day I removed the ruined brick pinnacle 
and began sinking a shaft or well, about 5 feet in diameter. At 3 feet 
from the top I found a rough stone, 24 inches x 15 inches % 7 inches; 
and on the 25th January, at a depth of 103 feet, I found an inscribed 
slab 282 inches long, J3 inches broad, and 42 inches thick, which is 
now in the Museum of the Bengal Asiatic Society. The inscription 
