1853.] Notes on the Ruins at Mahuhalipuram. 671 



min legend is required, there happens to exist one in the Mackenzie 

 papers (v. Mr. Taylor's 3rd report, section 9, page 65,) that comes as 

 near to my view of the formation of the salt-marsh, as these 

 tales generally do to the natural truths they often dimly chroni- 

 cle. 



" In early times one Mallesudu ruled here prosperously, but hav- 

 ing refused charity to a Brahmin, he was changed into an alligator. 

 A Eishi named Pundariea, going to pluck a lotus flower in the tank 

 where the alligator lay, was seized by it, but had power to drag it 

 out. The king thus obtained release and went to Swerga. The 

 Eishi wished to present the lotus flower to Vishnoo, but the sea 

 barred his way, and would not retreat ; so he sat down to bale the 

 sea out ! While thus occupied, an ancient Brahmin came and asked 

 for boiled rice, offering to do the Eishi' s work, while the latter 

 should go and cook it. By taking up a single handful of water the 

 sea retreated a whole coss, and when the Eishi returned he found 

 the Brahmin reposing in the manner in which statues of Yishnoo 

 are sometimes represented. He now recognised the god, and a 

 fane was built by him over the spot." If this tale have any real 

 foundation, it probably indicates, that after a period of abandonment 

 this site was re-occupied, and great increase of land discovered to 

 have taken place, about the time when the worship of Yishnoo was 

 introduced into the southern peninsula ; which being a date tolerably 

 ascertained, may possibly guide some future visitor in fixing the age 

 of the various structures ; especially if assisted by some translation 

 of the inscriptions which were unfortunately quite unintelligible 

 to me. 



It will be observed that I have made the freest use of the accounts 

 of other travellers : partly, in order to present in a general view the 

 remarks now scattered in half a dozen volumes, and partly in order 

 to support by the authority of others, the conclusions drawn in my 

 own confessedly hasty visit. Had I only been as well acquainted at 

 that time as I am now, with the writings of my predecessors, I should 

 have investigated far more closely several points that I now perceive 

 with regret I almost overlooked. The shore temple alone can be 

 said, to have been thoroughly examined : and I suppose it must have 

 been deemed less worthy of notice by former travellers : else I do 



