1891.] H. Cousens —'Report on the Boria or Lahha Medi Stupa. 21 
the surface as blocks of rock with the rifts or fissures (the cracks) filled 
with gravel. It is most certainly not bone, nor does it appear to be burnt 
clay, unless it has been burnt into hard stone ware. The gritty substance 
under the microscope looks like lumps of coal of various sizes, and to the 
naked eye as a few grains of different sized gunpowder. The bead 
which is the largest jewel, is in cross section triangular with rounded 
corners, one side being much longer than the other two, which, themselves, 
are unequal. The bead, in its length, has thus three faces. The hole has 
been drilled from both ends, which is evident from the meeting in the 
centre not being quite true. It is transparent, with a slightly, but deci¬ 
ded, green tinge, and Mr. Campbell thinks it an aquamarine. It may 
be crystal. The ruby, which is ruby-coloured by reflected light, is of 
the colour of strong tea by transmitted light. It is in the shape of a 
very flat cone, the diameter of its base being about of an inch. The 
sapphire is a deep blue by reflected, but a lighter blue by transmitted 
light, while the emerald is light opaque green. These two stones are 
smaller than the ruby, the emerald being the smallest. Now we come 
to the last article, which has all the appearance of a piece of dried twig, 
though perhaps a trifle heavy for such. It is about f inch long and 
nearly inch in diameter. The outside is covered with fine parallel 
lines or scoring, running with the length of the substance, and on it are 
one or two eyes where leaves or small branches may have been attached. 
It is of an uniform grey tint. The fractured ends or sections do not, 
however, shew any woody texture, but is more solid looking. In the 
five offerings made to images, and at the consecration of Hindu temples, 
the coral always forms a fifth with jewels, but then it is generally the 
red coral. It is not unlikely that this may be a piece of coral too, but 
of the white kind. The nature of the bead requires a professional 
opinion to decide. The usual five offerings in Hindu shrines are—a dia¬ 
mond, a ruby, an emerald, a pearl, and a piece of coral. 
The relic boxes were carefully examined, but no trace of inscription 
or of single letters could be found, nor has any coin been discovered. 
We are thus still without any clue to the age of the stupa, unless we get 
it in the fragments of sculptured stones which may yet be excavated. 
On the 20th the relic boxes and the contents of the small gold box were 
photographed full size. 
The excavation is still being continued, and when we left the mound 
on the evening of the 19th, a well had been sunk in the brick work to a 
depth of 8 feet below the centre of the position, where the coffer stood ; 
but without anything more being found. 
The sculptured stones that had been found are themselves full of in¬ 
terest, and if the remaining portions of the structure of which these form 
