242 Essay on the Avian Order of Architecture. [Sept. 



latter is equally well suited to a rainy and snowy climate. But besides 

 the difference of climate, there was perhaps another reason for the form 

 of roofing peculiar to the two countries, in the kind of material most 

 readily procurable for building. In Greece, it was stone ; in Kashmir, 

 it was timber. The former imposed low flat roofs with small intercolum- 

 niations : the latter suggested lofty roofs and wideintercolumniations. 



3. In the Kashmirian architecture the great width of the interval 

 between the columns (which is constant) is perhaps the most charac- 

 teristic feature of the order. Indeed, I have a suspicion that this dis- 

 tinctive mark of the Kashmirian style was well known to the Greeks 5 

 for an intercolumniation of four diameters, an interval seldom, if ever 

 used by themselves, was called Araiostyle, a name which would appear 

 to refer to the intercolumniation common amongst the Hindus or 

 Eastern Aryas, the Apetoi of Herodotus. The vulgar etymology of 

 Araiostyle, from Apaios "rare," seems extremely far-fetched, if not 

 absurd ; while the etymology of the " Arian columnar interval" appears 

 both natural and appropriate, as the intercolumniation followed by the 

 Aryas of Kashmir was never less than four diameters. 



4. Now the interval between the Kashmirian pillars being always 

 Araiostyle, I feel inclined to call the style of architecture used by the 

 Aryas of Kashmir, the "Arian Order." This name it fully merits ; 

 for it is as much a distinct order of architecture as any one of the more 

 celebrated classic orders. Like them it is subject to known rules which 

 confine the genius of its architects within certain limits. A Kash- 

 mirian pillar is indeed distinguished from all Indian pillars by having a 

 base, a shaft, and a capital, and each, besides, bearing a certain propor- 

 tion to the diameter. How unlike is this to the columnar vagaries of 

 the Hindus, which are of all shapes, and of all dimensions. A favorite 

 Hindu pillar has the lowest fourth of its height square, the next eight- 

 sided, the third sixteen-sided, and the upper part round 5 another has 

 a double capital with a low flat Base ; whilst a third has a shaft of only 

 one-fourth of its height ; the remaining three-fourths being all base and 

 capital : and yet these three pillars may be neighbouring columns of 

 the same temple. 



5. The superiority of the Kashmirian architecture over all other 

 Indian buildings would appear to have been known to the Hindus them- 

 selves ; for one of their names for the people of Kashmir is Shustra- 



