872 Notes of a journey to Girnar. [Oct. 



right of the Girndr road. It is one of a group of several large granite 

 blocks, and appears to have been chosen for its peculiar form, which 

 approaches to that of a flattened cone. The inscriptions occupy three 

 sides of the rock, that to the eastward being the most ancient ; whilst 

 those on the western and northern faces, are in a more modern charac- 

 ter. The ancient characters, recording the edicts of Asoka, are deeply 

 cut, and, except where a portion of the stone has been removed by vio- 

 lence, are very perfect. The same remark will also apply to that on the 

 upper western side, but the large inscription on the northern face next to 

 the road, is greatly defaced. The rock here has been much weather- 

 worn, and the characters appear to have been originally faintly cut. A 

 substantial causeway commences immediately opposite the rock, and cros- 

 sing the ravine at the bottom of the valley, with a neat bridge, terminates 

 near some Hindu temples, and a small but sacred reservoir, called the 

 Damodar Kiind*. This improvement on the high road to Girndr, is 

 the gift of one of the wealthiest of the Soondajee family, and is a noble 

 work. The large portion of the rock, removed from the eastern face, 

 has evidently been the effect of blasting, the materials being in all pro- 

 bability appropriated to the pavement of the causeway. 



The survey of my work concluded, preparations were made without 

 loss of time for commencing the copies and facsimiles. Without detail- 

 ing the result of each day's proceedings whilst occupied in the work, I 

 subjoin a somewhat more detailed account of the inscriptions them- 

 selves, with the methods pursued to ensure the necessary correctness 

 in their transcription. The most interesting character is the ancient 

 one, recording the edicts of king Asoka, and situated as before men- 

 tioned, on the eastern face : the letters are each li inches, uniform in 

 size, and very clearly and deeply cut. (No. 4.) This inscription con- 

 sists of two grand divisions, the edicts being again sub-divided by a 

 longitudinal line between each edict ; one line from the summit of the 

 rock to about midway down its face, forms the two great divisions. 

 The space occupied by this inscription is 9 square yardsf . Pursuing 

 Capt. Lang's as my first plan, the letters were carefully filled up with 

 a red pigment, (vermilion and oil,) every attention being paid to the 

 inflections, and other minute though important points. A thin and 

 perfectly transparent cloth, was then tightly glued over the whole of one 

 division, and the letters as seen plainly through the cloth, traced upon it 

 in black : in this way all the edicts were transcribed, and the cloth being 



* Distance of this causeway 700 yards. 



f The rock on the eastern side which is the highest, is 12 feet in perpendicular 

 height, and 74 feet in circumference at the base. 



