[No 1, 
GO Rajendralala Mitra— On Representations of 
A large number of the photographs represent architectural details and 
floral scrolls of much importance as illustrations of ancient art-designs in this 
country, and are well worthy of careful study. There are others representing 
scenes in the legendary life of Buddha, which are of considerable value in 
connexion with the antiquity of the legends which they illustrate. While 
a few depict scenes from private life, or state pageantry, which afford inter¬ 
esting details regarding the manners, customs, habits, social condition, and 
intercourse of foreigners with the people of Western India, two thousand 
years ago. 
Messrs. Ralph and Grisley were the first to notice the existence of 
foreigners in these frescoes. In their animated and scenic correspondence, 
mention is repeatedly made of foreigners as distinct from the natives. In one 
place they say : “ Here is a lovely face, a Madonna face. What eyes ! She 
looks towards the moon. Observe, these are Hindu faces—nothing foreign. 
Elsewhere, “ Observe that Abyssinian black prince seated on a bed—remark 
his ornaments. Now the woman seated on his left knee whom he embraces 
is as fair as you or I. Did these fellows get Georgian slaves ?” Again: 
“ Here are evidently three beauties in this apartment—one an African, one 
copper-coloured, one of a European complexion. Yes; and how frequently 
we see these intermixed. See this, R. is a fair man, a eunuch.” Again, “How 
often we see people of three complexions in the same panel! Now this is 
the most extraordinary thing we have found. Here are three placid por- 
traits—they are Chinese. Nothing can be plainer;—observe the style of 
their hair ;—the women have locks brought down in ringlets over their faces, 
and falling on to the neck, like some of the Hampton Court beauties.” 
The writers did not, however, attempt to define the character of these 
foreigners, in any detail. It will not be uninteresting, therefore, to examine 
at length the peculiarities of a few of the figures shown in the photographs. 
The first picture I have to notice is a court-scene on the south side of 
the cave No. I. In Messrs. Ralph and Grisley’s paper it is thus described : 
“ Here is a fair man of full age, dressed in a robe and cap, like some monk 
or abbot. Here is, next to him, a half-naked Brahman, copp>er-coloured, 
with shaven crown, and the single lock on his head. Here is a man 
presenting him with a scroll on which something is ivritten. He is in a 
crowded court,—he has come to an audience.” In the original this picture 
measures 15' X 6-6". (Plate II.) It represents a large audience chamber 
with colonnaded side aisles, and a large portal in front. The room is 
carpeted with some stuff bearing sprigs on a black, or dark-coloured, 
ground. On the centre is a oharpai or bedstead, which serves the pur¬ 
pose of a throne. It has four feet of the ordinary modern make, with 
a tape-woven top, such as is to be met with in every decently furnished 
house in northern India in the present day. Over it is a mattrass of 
striped cloth, and on the off side a large pillow or takia, having behind 
* Ante> Yol. Y, p. 558. 
