4/2 Notes on Ancient Temples, fyc. [June, 



compartments, the centre containing 3, the others 2, in all 7 cavities, 

 which led the natives of the present day to suppose the stone had been 

 used as a Dhenkh'i, for pounding rice. 



There can be little doubt however of the object of the people who 

 placed it in the position we found it ; as well as, that its dimensions, 

 and clearly sculptured face,* shows that at one time it formed the left 

 hand side of the door of a temple, and taking into consideration that 

 this building was at a considerable distance from the works enclosing 

 the tanks, &c. we may reasonably imagine that the stone with the whole 

 of the brick work was taken from the site of the temple, we were in 

 search of, and to a certain extent corroborates the reports of the natives 

 as to its existence within the site of Pritthimee Nugger, the discovery 

 of which however, must depend upon further researches in that quarter. 



In the present time it would appear difficult to account for the exist- 

 ence of such extensive remains of population so far inland from the 

 Burrumpooter. The traditions of the people however go to say, that 

 the course of this river eastward of Suddyah even ran in former times 

 much nearer to the northern mountains, but at what particular point 

 the Burrumpooter subsequently receded from the hills, cannot now be 

 well determined ; as the land is high at Choonpoorah, and continues so, 

 as far inland at least as the Copper Temple. It is evident notwithstand- 

 ing, and it is the current belief of the people, that the extensive plain 

 of Suddyah is an alluvial deposit of no very ancient date. I have seen 

 indeed, when the Burrumpooter was encroaching upon the station of 

 Koondil Mookh, drift timber of immense size exposed by the abrasions 

 of the river, and at the mouth of the Koondil, it appeared as if a forest 

 had once existed, under the Suddyah alluvial deposit ; which I believe, 

 at the highest, is not more than 16 feet above the dry season level of 

 the water in the river. 



As the Suddyah land falls again inland at about 4 or 5 miles distance 



towards the Goormoorah Nuddee, it is possible that this last may in 



former times have been the bed of the Burrumpooter, which would 



thus have joined the Debong, where the Dikrung and the united waters 



of the Goormoorah now fall into that river. This would bring the 



remains of Pritthimee and Bishmook within a reasonable distance of 



the great river of the valley. 



* The figure on this stone is supposed to be that of Krishna ; lying 1 alongside of this was 

 a smaller block, the edge carved in a chain frieze, apparently part of a cornice. 



