26 IvMïlRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



filled up with stones ; in the back part is a niche 

 designed. perhaps, for sleeping, or for an Altar— ? 

 the stone is evidentij of the Taöa kind, and has 

 been eut when soft ; above are the traces of a 

 foundation designed. The bed of rock appears 

 cut beyond this chamber into perpendicular fac- 

 ings, whereofl the marks of the sharp Instruments 

 are very evident ia the soft stone ; further on 

 ^ve met another chamber, but smaller, andnear it 

 also was a square basoa of water, cut into the 

 rock ; as we ascended we met several stages of 

 rock cut perpendicularly ; in one place a series 

 of steps formed a stair-case. 



Of the use of these Chambers the Natives could 

 givenoinformationnor form any conjecture; Ihad 

 some obscure recollection of the Tombs of some 

 ancient Kings beingin the hills near Brambana, 

 but they could teil nothing of it ; the universal 

 Trada resounded to every query ; they say that 

 the Susunan and Sultan^, when «mbarrassed 

 or melancholy, retire to these ceMs, and shut 

 themselves up for eight days in austere fasting 

 and contemplation — whatever may be in this, it 

 is extremely probable that they might be intend- 

 ed for some such purpose, which the provision of 

 water in the cell seems to corroborate, and also 

 the contemplative Jain Sa^iiassi, represented in a 



