284 Notice of a Ruin in SinghbMm, [No. 3. 



He could not tell me the exact locality, but the Rajah's brother informed us that 

 they were at Marah, a place in the Rewah territory, distant 24 miles. This seemed 

 to us no great distance and so we resolved to go, hoping to make the journey there 

 and back in four days. Our first stage was to Bhurkun a fine large village, 16 

 miles from Kotah. The next day, we changed our plan and set out with a number 

 of people to see the ancient structures, intending to return the same evening to the 

 tent which came up in the morning. The place we were to visit, is celebrated as 

 being in the dark deep recesses of the forest, hardly penetrable by man or beast. 

 We were warned to go well prepared with fire arms, spears, swords, &c. We were 

 told that they were excavated out of the solid rock, and that there were several 

 separate chambers, and that nobody had ever dared penetrate to the far interior. 

 A Mr. Russell it was said had gone, and had killed a large snake, a sort of dragon, 

 30 feet long, which some of them said they had seen, and which was called a 

 pahari titthi. Our people hearing all this were all disposed to stay at home ; 

 Daud said, he would rather not go, and so we mounted Chhotu on the pony to 

 carry the gun, greatly against his will however, for he had no desire to be either 

 first dish or last to the best tiger of the forest. On arriving at the village of Marah, 

 we got more people, the Rajah's brother having sent written orders that they should 

 go with us. One said we must not venture to enter the cave with fewer than 150 

 men and an abundance of torches. These reports made us rather nervous, but 

 still, we were resolved to go on. We rode for three miles in the forest, then leav- 

 ing the road, we made our way through the thicket, cutting down branches as we 

 passed on to allow of the ponies finding room to move, till at length we reached the 

 place on the side of the mountain, covered on all sides by dense and luxuriant 

 vegetation, but having a small clear space to the front. Externally appeared a row 

 of square stone pillars about eight feet high cut out of, and supporting the rock ; 

 within appeared other rows. It was such a place as a tiger might well choose for 

 his lair and the idea that perhaps there might be one ensconsed in the far off 

 recesses, made us cautious. We first fired off a pistol within the excavated cavern 

 and nothing issuing we lighted our torches, and ventured in to explore the recesses. 

 We found several small rooms, and the foot marks of the Samur, and also porcu- 

 pines' quills, but no wild animal. From this, we passed to a second, and then a 

 third building, and explored them all. The whole are probably, 130 feet in length, 

 and in one part, there are two stories, of similar height. The depth of the interior 

 cannot be less than from 40 — 50 feet. The external pillars are richly ornamented, 

 but being of sandstone and exposed to the weather it is difficult to trace the exact 

 pattern, but in the second building, is a very massive pillar cut on the four sides, 

 apparently representing a four-faced figure, sitting in the attitude in which Budh is 

 depicted. 



The writer makes few observations on this, but it may serve per- 

 haps as a clue to further enquiry and may induce some possessed of 

 the antiquarian spirit of a Tod or a Mackenzie to explore the interior 

 of that part of the country. We know little as yet of the districts of 

 India away from commercial emporia and the chief cities. We know 

 from competent data that large cities existed in the Sunderbunds in 

 former days, though they have long since passed under the hand of 

 decay. But every effort ought to be used in the present time to trace 

 out the remnants of " the olden time.'' Yours truly, 



J. Long. 



Calcutta, May Oth, 1851. 



