446 BRIDGE OVER THE GAUVERI. 
one hundred instances for the cure of the bite of poisonous serpents 
and always with success. 
It was dark before I set olFfor the bridge, accompanied by Major 
Symons, who to the last continued his kindness in acting as my in- 
terpreter. All the workmen had been detained, and were pretending 
to work away most merrily by the glare of thousands of flambeaus, 
which were lighted in an instant, and by the broad gleams that they 
threw on the rude pillars, had a much more beautiful effect than 
the full brightness of day. The river was so low that it was passai)le 
on foot. I seated myself with Narsingrow on some large stones, 
and continued for some time to admire the scene, which was enli- 
vened by thousands of spectators, breaking the still gloom around 
us by their white dresses, and moving in every direction. The 
bridge is a singular work, and is constructed like that of which 
Mr. Salt saw the ruins at Sevasummoodra, so that in the practice 
of bridge-building there has been no improvement for these three 
hundred years. It is constructed of pillars about eighteen feet high, 
by from two to three feet square. Of these there are three rows of 
sixty-seven each, sunk in the solid rock, ten feet from each other, 
but united at top, and, made steady by large stones laid flat and 
close together, on which is laid the gravel. These large stones are 
all raised by manual labour, without any mechanical assistance, 
which renders it a work of time. The expense has already amounted 
to ten thousand pagodas, and will probably cost as much more, for 
the upright stones are not all completed. They expect, however, 
to have this done before the next rains, when it can be continued 
without interruption. Purneah has been at the whole expense, as he 
says, to show the Rajah swish to accommodate the English garrison, 
