May 18G1.] Remarks on the Bhilsa Topes. 99 



the vowel was short, when it should be long. Mr. Prinsep left the 

 work dissatisfied. " What was my agreeable surprise," writes he, 

 " on returning, and looking again, to see that the vowel was long!" 

 Prodigious ! with what little compunction his Cingalese servant 

 would add the small mark, when found needful to please his mas- 

 ter, did not occur to Mr. Prinsep. His good nature was overflow- 

 ing : pity it is that such men are always cheated every where, but 

 in India and by Moonshees especially* I may here take occasion 

 to notice that two of the words on the great tope No. 1 at Sanchi ; 

 to wit rdca ' not coming' and tolig'i 'rejecting' are atsa Telugu ; 

 having no relation to Sanscrit. 



The most valuable portion of Major Cunningham's book, con- 

 tains the drawings, ground plans, measurements, and their des- 

 criptions. Here, as an Engineer Officer, he was at home. I make 

 an extract descriptive : — 



" A view of this remarkable stone-railing is given in Plate IX., 

 which shows the general disposition of the numerous inscriptions. 

 The style is evidently characteristic and conventional ; as it is 

 found wherever the Bauddha religion prevails.* It is in fact so 

 peculiar to Buddhism, that I have ventured to name it " the Bud- 

 dhist railing.'' This peculiar railing is still standing around the 

 principal topes at Sanchi and Andher ; and some pillars, and other 

 fragments are still lying around the great topes at Sonari and Sat- 

 dhara. The same railing was placed around the holy Bodhi trees, 

 and the pillars dedicated to Buddha. The balconies of the city 

 gates, and of the king's palace, were enclosed by it. It formed 

 the bulwarks of the State Barge. It was used as an ornament for 

 the capitals of columns, as on the northern pillar at Sanchi ; and 

 generally for every plain band of architectural moulding. At 

 Sanchi it is found in many places as an ornament on the horizontal 

 bars which separate the bas reliefs from each other." 



* No less than nine specimens of this kind of railing were found 

 amongst the Bhilsa Topes; all of which are described in the following 

 pages. In Plate IX. Fig. 3, I have added a specimen from the great 

 Dipaldinna Mound at Amaravati, for the description of which, see Prin- 

 sep's Journal. Vol. VI., Plate X. 



