1848.] Miscellaneous. 23.5 



attached no importance to these short inscriptions ; I however fortu- 

 nately copied several. I have been able to decide that Koorkihar must 

 have been a place of Buddhist pilgrimage, and that there were rows 

 after rows of Chaityas extending north and south for several hundred 

 feet ; added to these, there were isolated buildings and tanks in every 

 direction for a mile or more around. In some inscriptions the idol 

 is called Buddha, Shakya in most, and in one, " Vir Virochna." 

 Some of the figures are very beautiful ; one of Maya Devi is as large 

 as life, and most beautifully executed ; the arms however are missing ; 

 there is one extremely curious and highly finished figure of a fat old 

 gentleman, seated on a stool, holding an egg in one hand and a lizard 

 in the other ; one arm and the head are wanting. I have made several 

 drawings of figures that I could not remove. I hope by collecting 

 representations of all the Hindu and Buddhist deities to be enabled 

 to carry out my original intention of publishing a regular pantheon, 

 which is much needed. I am now at Nowada, and proceed to-morrow 

 night to Giryek, where I hope to find something worthy of notice. 

 I have heard of two mounds near Behar, where there are numerous 

 idols above and below ground. I shall visit Uffsan, where I went last 

 year to see the inscription and the famous idol of Varaha, with the 

 " Rishis resting on his bristles," as described in the Vishnu Puran (see 

 Wilson's Translation). I fear I shall have to make but a short stay 

 this time, as I am suffering much from the effects of the sun all last 

 week, and unless I superintend, the people will either not work or 

 injure the sculptures ; besides, it requires contrivance to get out such 

 masses of heavy stone out of the pits they are buried in, without the 

 help of lever, rope or more than 4 or 5 men. I manage it by the simple 

 though tedious process of tilting from side to side and filling in bricks 

 and rubbish at each turn, till they are fully above ground. When 

 above ground, the next process is to turn the block flat over, taking 

 care to place a lump of stones or a couple of bricks exactly under the 

 centre ; this forms a fulcrum on which a child may move the largest 

 stone, and by the same means of placing bricks under, it is set upright, 

 and thus let backwards unto the cart. 



I visited Tupobun. There are five hot springs, the hottest only 110°; 

 there have been a couple of temples, but nothing but a few broken 

 idols and heaps of rubbish remain ; there is a modern Shiwalla." 



2 H 



