oct.— mar. 1859-60.] 



Scientific Intelligence. 



349 



I was then inspecting works between 50 and 60 miles from Ginji, 

 and it was not till three weeks afterwards, on my return, that I was 

 able to commence a Survey of the Fort and buildings. In this 

 duty, I reported on the 1st of December the delay occasioned by 

 the monsoon, and that I was obliged to leave my Estimate-maker 

 behind to go on with the Survey, which had become a slow and 

 tedious operation, on account of the number of offsets. I was only 

 called upon to report on the buildings, but these are so intimately 

 connected with the past history of the Fort, that, to avoid further 

 reference, I considered it necessary to submit a Survey of the Fort 

 accompanied with a brief description, plans of the buildings, their 

 present value ascertained from careful measurement, the probable 

 cost of repairs, and any further information which my acquaintance 

 with the locality for five years enabled me to give. I trust, there- 

 fore, the delay will be considered satisfactorily explained and some- 

 what compensated for. 



2. The Fort of Ginji consists of the upper and lower Forts, the 

 former on the top of three separate hills, each rock in itself a citadel, 

 connected at the base by walls nearly 60 feet in thickness and faced 

 with compactly fitted blocks of granite, at present in good preser- 

 vation, and by a ditch 84 feet in breadth, which form the lower 

 Fort. The rocks marked A and B in the Survey are the two most 

 important from their natural contour. They are ascended by steps 

 and have a complete set of fortifications on the top, which, owing 

 to the difficulty of access in some places either from trees or dis- 

 placed stones, could not be surveyed. The buildings on them will 

 need no separate description, being similar to those in the lower 

 Fort to be presently described in detail. Again, the former of these 

 two rocks is the more remarkable being in fact the citadel, situated 

 on a granite rock of considerable strength, about 800 feet in height 

 and perpendicular on all sides but one, to two-thirds of its altitude, 

 whence to its summit it is perpendicular on all sides, and the com- 

 munication to that part cut off by a deep chasm 24 feet broad, 

 over which a drawbridge was formerly used. The ascent to the 

 summit, where the fortifications and buildings are situated, on a 

 tolerably level space over-grown with high hill grass is now made 

 by 4he venturesome at one of the lowest points of the perpendi- 

 cular sides, by means of creepers, ropes and .bamboos Every 



