108 Buddhist Carvings at Budh Gay a. [No. 2, 



Thirdly. — The central compartments are curious, but need little 

 remark. At first I took them for astronomical emblems as signs of 

 the zodiac, but I do not think they are. 



Fourthly. — The lower ornament is nearly the same in all. 



Memo. — Although drawn one over the other — it does not follow 

 that the identical three were upon one and the same rail-post. 



Plate No. V. — The figure shewn as No. 2, to the left, is rather 

 unusual. It wants all the refinement of Buddha, and does not, I think, 

 represent him. — There is another such figure let into the wall, as you 

 enter the lower room in the great tower on the right hand, inside the 

 doorway. The fifth sketch puzzled me. It is perhaps intended to 

 represent a good trick. To the extreme left is, what I believe to 

 be, the only remnant yet found in Benares of a Buddhist rail. It is 

 much defaced, and obliterated with dirt and ghee, and stands nearly 

 opposite to the door of the golden temple on the left hand of the 

 street. 



The demon face to the extreme left of the centre one much resem- 

 bles the Sarnath demon face ; whilst the cornice is very bold, free, 

 and handsome. The single demon face inside the brick tower, left, 

 above the floor of the highest chamber, must have been built in, when 

 the tower was built, and I should not assign any great age to it. 



The portion of the Singhasan or idol shrine drawn nearly to scale, 

 and which shews the holes into which were set the fastenings of the 

 metal covering, is very curious. It exactly corresponds in style to 

 the whole of the exterior plaistering of the great tower, and in the 

 event of the arches having been declared to be coeval with the tower, 

 I must amend my former opinion, and would hold that tlie tower was 

 rebuilt, interiorly arched, and wholly plaistered at or about 500 A. D. — 

 the date of Amara Sinha, when the original Buddhist railing included 

 both the Bo tree and the tower. 



In conclusion, I may remark, that although my drawings are very 

 defective, yet the original carvings are very rude^ and clearly betoken 

 their early execution. 



