longer seek for colonies of Jews, Egyptians , Ethiopians, or Pit cru- 
cians, to supercede the more rational mode of accounting for such 
works, in the enthusiastic labour and ingenuity of the natives of 
the country; b} r which means the wonder is at least simplified.” 
“ The difference of the inscriptions in some of the caves, from 
the present known characters of Hindostan, may be objected to 
their being the produce of Hindoo artists; but it is well known 
that the formation of letters undergoes great changes in the course 
of ages, and that such is the case with respect to the excavations on 
the western side of India, may be fairly inferred, from the diffi- 
culty with which the ingenious Mr. Charles Wilkins traced and 
recovered, as I have been informed, some inscriptions in the 
neighbourhood of Ghya. But I am inclined to think that we are 
not sufficiently acquainted with the characters of the south of In- 
dia, such as the Tumhole , Arvee, Kenaraa , and Telinghee, to pro- 
nounce on their affinity to those in the excavations, which will be 
fully submitted to the scrutiny of the learned in an intended pub- 
lication by Mr. Wales; whose fine taste, masterly pencil, and laud- 
able industry, are mentioned in m}- former letter; he has already 
made great progress in such a collection of these wonderful anti- 
quities, many of them hitherto unheard of by Europeans, and first 
discovered by his inquiries, as, with the addition of those at Ellora, 
will at once engage and satisfy the expectations of the learned and 
the curious. 
“ Though I have mentioned my persuasion that the generality 
of the excavations I have seen, not only at Ellora, but elsewhere, 
are dedicated to Mahdew; yet I do not mean thereby to aban- 
don an idea, that the most northerly caves of Ellora, occupied by 
