22 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNÈV 



whole we saw none of those stupendous bloek^ 

 thatexcite our surprize in the Carnatic Temples ; 

 thestones were generally dark^ but manj of thera 

 "white and grey, of the softer kind of the Solo 

 stone, and the freshness of the color might per- 

 haps be ovving to their having been built up a 

 iiew ; the marks of the chipping kuife were 

 \isible on many. 



On viewing this Èdifice from without we ean 

 frame no just idea of its original form, asfrom the 

 ■\vorking of the Banian which has sapped its 

 strength and shades it on all sides^ and from the 

 dilapidation of the original coating^, nothing can 

 be seen but a confused hill of stones^ foiming an 

 aukvvard Pvraniidal heap^ on near approach ex- 

 hibiting the three narrow openings through the 

 g'loomy shade of leaves and branches — with dif- 

 ficultj clearing awajapassagCj I elambered over 

 heaps of stonesto these narrow openings. — Ithink 

 it is probable tliat the stair case entered below 

 the heap and is now no longer visible. On clam- 

 bering over a heap of this kind and entering bj 

 the Western aperturc, 1 fonnd mjself at once 

 in this chamber of stone^ on a hillock of square 

 masscs tumbled together as they feil froni Ihc 

 vaultabovCj which, on looking up, threatened <o 

 pour a shower of pondcrous blütks unon thö 

 curieus traveller. 



