1862.] 
Ancient Javanese Remains. 
21 
One great paved and elevated terrace, nearly 400 feet* square, forms 
the platform. Then rise five successive terraces, each surrounded by a 
high parapet, so as to form between them four corridors running 
right round the building. Above these come three concentric rings 
of small dagobas, and in the centre a large dagoba of about 30 feet 
V 
in diameter, forming tne apex and crown of all. The height to the 
base of this dagoba is about 90 feet.f 
In Baffles’s time, much of the basement was covered up, and I 
believe all the galleries had been at one time filled by the volcanic 
ashes from Mir Api. Baffles must have partially cleared the base¬ 
ment, as he has given elaborate plans of the whole structure, but the 
complete clearance of the lower platform was carried out by the same 
Besident Hartman who discovered Mundot. 
In the outer face of each terrace are numerous niches crowned by 
small model dagobas. Each of these niches has been occupied by a 
cross-legged Buddha,J and both sides of the corridors are carved in 
a vast series of bas-reliefs. These doubtless represent the history of 
Gautama Buddha, and are analogous to the extensive series of wall 
paintings often seen in Burma. From Col. Cunningham’s descrip¬ 
tions of Sanchi, they appear to have some resemblance to the sculp¬ 
tures there. They exhibit every variety of life, war, worship, 
processions, and domestic scenes, with an entire absence of any 
indecency so far as I saw. Courts, chariots, ships, umbrellas, arms, 
architectural subjects, &c. &c., afford many interesting glimpses of 
the race which erected these galleries. The faces are all undoubtedly 
Hindu, and closely resemble those of the best Hindu sculptures. 
Indeed the faces are not only the best executed, but the best preserv¬ 
ed part of the work, and even where the figures are worn and defaced, 
as one often sees on an old coin, the faces still retain wonderful 
sharpness and distinctness of character. The Netherlands Govern¬ 
ment employed artists for several years to make drawings of all these 
sculptures, and. they are now being engraved in Holland at great 
expense. To photograph them, would be difficult on account of the 
narrowness of the galleries. The quality of the sculpture, and of 
* I take this from Raffles’s plan. Crawfurd says 526 feet and is probably 
more correct. 
t The whole height according to Crawfurd is 116 feet. 
X According to Raffles’s plan, there must have been 436 of these. 
