426 
from the long inscriptions on the square pillars at the entrance; 
the characters were obsolete, and had not been deciphered when 
I left India. 
The following are the exact dimensions of the large temple, or 
principal excavation at Salsetie. 
Length of the interior, ninety-one feet, six inches. 
Breadth, thirty-eight feet. 
Depth of the portico, twelve feet. 
Portico-wall, or support of rock, five feet. 
Front-wall, or support of rock, three feet. 
Area, twenty- eight feet. 
Outer-wall, or support of rock, two feet eight inches. 
The length of the whole temple, portico and area, leading to 
it, is one hundred and forty-two feet two inches. 
After remaining some hours in the large temple, we proceeded 
further up the mountain by a flight of steps hewn in the rock, 
and continued to the summit. By various intricate paths they 
lead to smaller excavations; most of which consist of two rooms, a 
portico and benches, cut in the rock : to each is annexed a cistern 
of water of about three cubic feet, also hewn in the rock, for the 
preservation of rain water; which we found very cool and grate- 
ful after a sultry walk. 
Some of these excavations are larger and better finished than 
others; a few in their general effect resemble the principal temple, 
though inferior in size and decoration. The whole appearance 
of this excavated mountain indicates it to have had a city hewn in 
its rocky sides capable of containing many thousand inhabitants: 
the largest temple was doubtless their principal place of worship; 
