Travels in India. 



Part. II. 



which they fetch from a Quarry neer Agra. They cleave like our Slates, fome 

 of therri being fifteen foot long, and nine or ten foot broad, yet not above 

 fix fingers thick, efpecially when you cleave them as you would have them for 

 ufe : They âïfô make very fair Pillars. The Fortrefs of Agra, the Walls of feha- 

 nabat, the King's Houfè, the two Mofyuees, and feveral Noblernens Houfes arc 

 all built of this Stone. 



The Pagod is built upon a great Platform of an Ottogonal Figure, pav'd with 

 Free-ftone ; being adorn'd round about with the figures of all forts of crea- 

 tures, efpecially Apes. There is an afcent to it two ways of fifteen or fixteeti 

 fteps a-piece, every ftep being two foot broad, for two perfons to go a-breft. 

 One o r the afcents leads up to the great Portal of the Pagod, the other behind 

 up to tlK Chancel. The Pagod does not take up above half the Platform, the 

 other half ferving for a Piazza before it. The Structure is in the form of a 

 Crofs, like the reft of the Pagods, in the midft whereof a great Duomo > with 

 two others of each fide .fomewhat left, advance themfelves above the reft of 

 the building. The out-fide of the building from top to bottom is adorn'd 

 with, the figures of Rams, Apes and Elephants, and feveral forts of Mon- 

 fters. From one foot below every one of thefe Buomo's, to the Roof, zv 

 fuch and fuch fpaces^ are Windows, fome five, fome fix feet high, and to 

 every Window belongs a Balcone, where four perfons may ftand. Every Bal- 

 cone is cover'd with a little Arch, fupported by four Pillars, others by eight, 

 every two touching one another. Round about the Duomo's are Niches fill'd 

 with the figures of D&mons. Some with four arms, fome with four legs. 

 Some with mens heads npon the bodies of Beafts, and long tails that hang 

 down to their thighes : There are abundance of Apes ; and indeed it is an 

 ugly fight to behold fo many deform'd fpectacles. There is but one great 

 door to the Pagod, upon each fide whereof there are Pillars and Figures of 

 Men and Monfters. The hinder-part is clos'd with a clofè Balifter of Stone- 

 Pillars five or fix inches in Diameter, into which, as into a kind of SanBttm 

 Sanlhrum, none but the Bramins are permitted to enter: but for Money, I got 

 in, and law a fqnare Attar fbme fifteen or fixteen foot from the door, co- 

 ver'd with an old Tifibe of Gold and Silver, upon which ftood the great l'do/ y 

 which they call Ram, Ram. You fee nothing but his head, which is of a very 

 black Marble, with two Rubies inftead of eyes. All the body, from rjie fhoul-r 

 ders to the feet, is cover'd with a Robe of Purple- Velvet, with fome fmall 

 embroidery. There are two other Idols on each fide of him two foot high, ap- 

 parel I'd in the fame manner; only their faces are white, which they call Bee- 

 chor. There I alfo fàw a Machine fixteen foot fquare, and between twelve and 

 fifteen foot high; cover'd with painted Calicuts., reprefenting the fhapes of De- 

 vils. This Machine running upon four Wheels, they told me, was a moving 

 Altar, upon which they carri'd their great God in Proceffion to vifit the other 

 Gods, as alio to the River, whither all the people went upon their great Fefti- 

 vai. 



The fourth Pagod is that of Tripeti, in the Province of Carnatica, toward the 

 Coaft of Coromandel, and Cape Comorïn. I fàw it as I went to Majlipatati. It is a 

 Pagod to which there belong a great number of little lodgings for the Bramins 

 fo'that altogether it feems to be a great Town. There are feveral Ponds round 

 about it ; but their fuperftition is fo great, that no Palfenger dare take any water 

 out of them, but what the Bramin gives him. 



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