194 TOUR FROM SGURABAYA, THROUGH KADIRI, &C. 
broad, and high enough to stand up in. To the northern 
chamber you descend a step and find it a little less than the 
former. In the southern wall is a square doorway in which 
may be seen the remains of grooves for doors to work in, 
leading into an apartment about six feet square, and which 
gives a sonorous echo to the voice. Corresponding with this, 
but in the southern wall of the southern chamber, is another 
opening which is gained by a few narrow and steep steps, 
which when you first creep into it, appears quite dark, but 
after awhile, the eye adapts itself to the small portion of 
light which penetrates so far, and you perceive opposite the 
opening the figure of a human being rudely sculptured on 
the back of the rock from which it stands out in half 
relief. There are thus four compartments or cl.ambers 
in one row, running from north to south, and all cut out of 
the solid rock. The two centre ones, communicating with 
the outer air by roomy doorways, are quite light, but the 
side ones receiving their light, as it were at second hand, are 
darksome, and fitted for the retreat of hermit or devotee. At 
the back of the larger southern chamber is a light projection, 
and on a pedestal or low altar is still seen squatting with 
folded legs and hands, a Hindu figure cut from the rock to 
which it still adheres. It is evidently not a figure of Budha, 
as has been asserted, but of Siva or some other similar 
deity, as it wears the usual tiara and has bracelets on its 
neck, with neither of which Budha is ever represented. The 
face and shoulders of the figure are thickly plastered with 
yellow Boreh or Ochre, and the remains of incense-burning 
show that the poor ignorant Javanese still come here to 
seek assistance in their troubles. The figure is only about 
feet high. The walls of this chamber and of the one 
adjoining on the north, are ornamented by the stone being 
carved into locks of hair, among which, in the southern one, 
are seen small representations of human figures in various 
attitudes but clumsily executed. The ceiling of the two 
middle chambers is flat and quite black as if covered with a 
varnish, and though uneven yet smooth, shining and dry. 
For this I can afford no explanaiion unless it has been some 
preparation applied to the rock, either to keep it dry and 
impervious to the drainage of water, or by its sombre colour 
to make the place more imposing It has been suggested that 
it had been caused by the constant burning of lamps before 
the images in days of yore, but it is hardly probable that so 
large a volume of smoke would be kept up as to imbue tire rock 
