1849.] discovered on a Spur of the Satpoorah Range. 921 



publicity to sooner, but just as I was arranging them, I received my 

 appointment to the Residency at Indore, and I was in hopes that I 

 should ere this have had an opportunity of adding to, or correcting 

 my first impressions ; illness and other causes have however arisen to 

 prevent this and I now furnish them with not a little diffidence. 



It was on the occasion of my return from an excursion to the under- 

 valued and imperfectly described caves of Bang, the extent and beauty 

 of which however I hope to shew in a subsequent report (having 

 been fortunate enough to discover few large Vehars, and several small 

 detached caves, for the daghop only, and not chaitya cathedrals — ano- 

 malies I believe in Bhoodhistical excavations), when it was casually 

 suggested to me to visit the Bawunguj. This proved to be the general 

 acceptation of the height and the current name of the colossal figure, 

 the chief subject under consideration.* It is situated in Burwanie, 

 a considerable district in Kimar, on the left or south bank of the 

 Nerbudda, under the chieftainship of an independent rajah, who has 

 just obtained his majority. The capital of district is also named 

 Burwanie, a few miles west of which run the first spurs that the 

 Satpoorah Range sends off towards the Nerbudda in a north westerly 

 direction. About seventeen miles further down they close in and 

 meeting others from the north bank of the Vindhyan chain, form the 



* Literally 52 guj. If we reckon the guj here alluded to, to be that in ordinary- 

 use on this side of India, viz. Malwa, viz. 30 inches, and we are bound to accept 

 this standard in preference to the English guj or yard, which is chiefly used in 

 cloth measure, and could only have come into general adoption with the extension 

 of our power ; and before that period the name in all probability had been given 

 to the figure ; we should have a supposed height of 130 feet to it. With its pe- 

 destal, if it has any, it could not have extended to this, nor does it approximate in 

 any degree to my measurement of 90 feet 10 inches ; but the standard of 30 inches 

 is not an approved or legitimate one, and the only one I am aware of that is, is 

 the Illahie guj, of the Emperor Akbar, fixed by him at 41 fingers, and determined by 

 Colonel Hodson, late Surveyor General in India, (Transactions Asiatic Society, Vol. 

 7,) from several measurements of the Taj Mahuland other Mahomedan buildings to 

 be 31 inches and a fraction more than one-third, which would make the Bawunguj 

 134 feet 7f inches, a height utterly inconsistent and extravagant. I mention 

 this, not that an approach to accuracy is likely to result from any hypothesis that 

 could be drawn from a mere name, yet it is as well always to endeavour to test the 

 statements of natives, particularly if traditional, to ascertain if there are any real 

 grounds for their appellations though ever so common or unmeaning. 



