19 
1891. j H. Cousens —Report on the Boria or Lalcha Medi Stiipa. 
found about tlie vertical axis of the mound. They were numbered as 
found, but owing to no plans or sections having been plotted as the work 
progressed, there was some little doubt as to the positions of some few 
fragments. The two great heavy rail slabs were no doubt placed in 
the positions in which they were found for the purpose of the better 
securing the relics from any burrowing thief. The others were probab¬ 
ly put in without any special purpose. 
Before describing these fragments it will be as well to revert to the 
relics. See Plate V. On our arrival at the mound on Monday, the 18th 
February, we entered the trench and found the stone coffer, with its lid 
upon it, standing on one side (west) of its original bed. As far as could 
be seen, it had been placed in the vertical axis of the mound, and, from 
measurements taken by me, and the statement that it was at a depth of 
39 feet from the original top, I conclude that it occupied a position in the 
centre of that axis. On finding the box, Mr. Ardesir had it lifted to one 
side to see if there was anything beneath it, but he kept its bed undis¬ 
turbed so that we could see how it was placed. From the discovery 
until we arrived a day or two had elapsed, during which time the coffer 
had been left standing in the trench under a guard, but had not been 
sealed or otherwise made fast. This outer receptacle consists of two 
blocks of white free stone, one upon the other, the upper serving as a 
covering to the lower. The block had been placed, so far as I could see 
by the marking of the bed, with its sides facing the cardinal points. 
Upon lifting off the upper slab we found a small circular well in the 
upper side of the lower stone, closed by a thin circular slab which rested 
upon a shoulder inside round the top of the well. On lifting out this 
little cover, whose top was flush with the top of the slab, we found inside 
a small stone pot with lid. The shape of the lower part of this is that of 
a shallow bowl, while the upper, or lid, was like an inverted saucer with a 
lip on its underside. This pot was very nearly as big round as the 
well in which it was placed, and it was with some little difficulty got 
out. The bowl or the lower part of the pot is perfectly plain, but the 
top has, by way of ornament six concentric grooved circles. The 
material out of which it is made is a dull red claystone, and the whole has 
been turned very neatly upon the lathe. This is evident from the cir¬ 
cles, where the tool in its progress round has very slightly chipped or 
serrated the edge of the circles. A curious thing about this pot, and 
which will be noticed again presently, is that the lid does not fit the 
bowl, being too big for it, its lip overlapping and resting on the inner 
edge of the bowl instead of dropping into it. Within the well, sur¬ 
rounding this pot, was found a small quantity of gritty powder. 
In the stone pot was found a little copper pot in two parts like 
