May 1861.] 



Architectural Remains. 



109 



REPORT ON INTERESTING MEMORIALS IN THE DISTRICT OF NORTH 



ARCOT. 



From Captain H. L. Prendergast, District Engineer, North 

 Arcot, dated Ranipet, 18th August, 1859. 



1. Arcot. — The old Fort of historical renown, is now become 

 portion of the town, covered with houses and gardens, and the 

 trace of it is not to be clearly distinguished. Old drawings repre- 

 sent an irregular parallelogram, with many round towers, surround- 

 ed by a wet ditch, a regular covered way, and glacis : an advanced 

 ravelin is shown on the north side, and a gateway on the east and 

 west sides : the east gateway facing the river is the only remnant 

 of these, and it is of very ordinary construction : one would im- 

 agine the remains of a bastion protecting this entrance, but the 

 stone has been removed for building purposes, and the trace is not 

 clear. It is curious to observe that an old plan signed " John 

 Call Chief Engineer," shows paddy fields, and buildings outside, 

 to the eastward, whereas at present the river comes up to the 

 very foot of the gateway ; there are no signs of such in the bed 

 of the river, but it is not impossible that the river has encroached 

 on its former banks, and has been arrested by the line of old walls 

 of the Fort. 



2. Arni. — About six miles from Arni a little off the road to 

 Vellore, are the graves of some of the Officers and men, who fell 

 at the battle of A'rni ; a wall now partially destroyed surrounds 

 the enclosure: the slabs which recorded the names of those buried, 

 have been carried away by the villagers. The road is likely to be 

 soon restored between A'rni and Vellore, and I think a sum of 

 Rupees 300 might be laid out, in restoring the wall of the burial 

 ground ; the names to be recorded are lost but Government might 

 approve of a simple slab being inscribed, to the memory of the 

 Officers and Soldiers, who lost their lives at A'rni. 



3. Chendragiri. — Fort consists of a rampart 1£ mile in cir- 

 cuit, with bastions and towers surrounded by a ditch : the gate- 

 way is formed of single blocks of granite, and the roof consists of 

 fine slabs with the old rude sculpturing of Hindu Mithology. The 

 principal palace is composed of three stories, about 50 feet in 



