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On the Topes of Darounta, and Caves of Bahrabad. — By the late 

 Lieut. Pigou, (Engineers./ 1 



At a distance of six miles from Jullalabad in an easterly direction is 

 situated the village of Darounta, at the foot of the Koh-i-Surrukh on the 

 right bank of the Jullalabad river ; scattered through the village, and in 

 its environs are eleven topes, of various sizes, but all much smaller than 

 the tope of Manikyala : on some of these are evidences of their having 

 once borne external ornaments similar to those found on that tope ; they 

 are built of stone and slate, cemented with mortar,and in some cases merely 

 with mud ; all of them possess a chamber from 4 to 8 feet square, and some 

 of them have in addition a shaft running down the centre; at the time 

 of my visiting them, six of the largest had already been opened by 

 Messrs. Masson and Honigberger ; in opening the others, the method 

 pursued was, to cut, as it were, a slice from the lip to the bottom, reaching 

 to the centre by this meams both the centrical shaft, and the chamber at 

 the bottom were laid open ; out of the four thus opened, one was empty, 

 the contents of ihe other three were as follows : 



Box No. 1, was taken from the Tope-i-kutchera ; it was found in a 

 chamber about six feet below the level of the ground ; it was contained 

 in a rough case made of four slates (about a foot square) stuck together 

 with clay ; these fell aside on being touched. Within the box were the 

 three coins, and a peice of rock crystal ; the coins belong (2) to Ermseus 

 III. (?) and one to Azos, 



Box No. 2, w 7 as found in the Tope-i-fasl, it contained a small gold bo*, 

 in which were placed several pearls, with holes drilled through the cen- 

 tre, and some small peices of what appeared to be bone ; the gold box 

 with its contents has been stolen from me. 



Box No. 3, was found in the Tope-i-Hosen-amanar, covered in a manner 

 similar to Box No. 1, it contained a mixture of light red earth, and grey 

 ashes, and three coins, all of Azos. 



There can be little doubt but that these topes were built in memory of 

 the illustrious dead ; without reasoning from analogy founded on the state- 

 ments of a late traveller in the Crimea, regarding the sepulchral tumuli 

 discovered in the vicinity of the ancient Panticapeum, the metropolis of 

 the famous Mithridates Entapor, the evidence furnished by the relics 

 found in the topes, would irresistibly lead to such a conclusion ; with 

 regard to the sera when these topes were constructed, it is more difli- 



