7 
1877.] Ancient Sculpturings on roclcs in Kamaon. 
21. The villagers’ view of the matter was, as usual, that the marks 
were those of the giants, and that the little shrine at the top[of the hill 
was the burial-place of a holy man, the same as the Chandeshwar account. 
The Kistvaen was evidently modern. But this fact would not affect the 
view that the original tumulus was of old date. It may often be noticed 
how later comers adopt the sites chosen by their predecessors for places of 
worship or sepulture. Of this Dwara-Hath is an example, whilst perhaps 
one of the most striking instances may be seen in the Chanda District at 
Narkanda, not far from the confluence of the Wainganga and the Goda¬ 
vari. Here a ridge of rocks running across the stream forms a natural 
anicut, ensuring a fine and constant reach of deep water during even the 
hottest and driest months. On the left bank of the stream are groups of 
temples of some half a dozen distinct types, from the Cyclopean class, 
massive blocks of stone without ornament, and evidently of a very early 
date, up to the recent florid additions of the Rajas of Nagpur. And a 
case came under my own notice some years back, in which a fakir was 
buried in the middle of one of the largest of the stone circles of the Higna 
group, near the city of Nagpur, a tumulus certainly several hundreds of 
years old. The first comers chose good sites and built and buried there. 
Later on, the remains of temples or tombs suggested the eligibility of those 
sites, and the later comers borrowed not only the idea of the position, but 
building materials also from the ruins. 
22. In the above remarks I have tried to confine myself to what I 
saw and heard on the spot, and have as far as possible avoided mixing up 
therewith speculations on the origin and significance of the remains. I am 
generally content to do this, and to leave the analysis of what I may collect 
and what may appear of interest, to those, who, from the appliances and in¬ 
formation at their disposal, are able to subject such enquiries to reliable 
tests, and to extract from my rough jottings any grains of the true ore 
which may be therein contained. And on the present occasion, having 
only one or two books of reference with me, (my baggage being necessarily 
restricted during a march among the Himalayas to what can be carried on 
the backs of a limited number of men) it may be especially undesirable 
to advance what may appear to be very crude theories regarding the signifi¬ 
cance of these markings. I am nevertheless tempted to add to my notes 
a few remarks and suggestions, more in the hope of evoking some dis¬ 
cussion from those who are better informed than myself, and who, with the 
library of the Asiatic Society ready at hand, can supply omissions or correct 
any misapprehensions into which I have fallen, than with any intention of 
appearing to attempt dogmatise on a subject on which I cannot, of 
course, claim to write with any sort of authority. 
23. In the first place I would desire to notice, with reference to the 
