corners. The columns in the temple proper stand two or four together; and the abacus or square stone upon them, between the capital and architrave, is thirteen inches deep, and is beautifully carved. The architrave has a rich double band sculptured upon it, which passes all round the temple, including the porticos. Above this is a flat stone, and, above the stone, a row of niches, which are, probably, of Mohammedan origin.

Viewing the temple from the outside, a practised eye soon distinguishes between the ancient portion and that added by the Mohammedans. Above the portico, all below the octagonal breastwork is, evidently, of Buddhist workmanship, and the remainder, of Mohammedan; but the Mohammedans, there is reason to suppose, availed themselves of old materials. At the termination of the breastwork at each corner rests a small kalas, about two-thirds of the circular disk of which is exposed, the remainder being inserted in the wall. Although so many ages have elapsed since this temple was erected, and although it has been exposed alternately to the ruthlessness of Hindu and of Mohammedan fanaticism, yet with such singular skill have its proportions been designed, and its blocks of stone been joined together, -though without cement of any kind,-that, at the present moment, in spite of its aspect of hoary antiquity, it seems almost, if not quite, as durable as on the day on which it was finished; and it is unquestionable that, if it be not barbarously damaged by vandalish hands, it will continue to stand for centuries to come. The simplicity, combined with the great strength, of its parts, and the symmetrical arrangement of the whole, give to

the building, notwithstanding the general scantiness of its ornamentation, an appearance which the most fastidious must pronounce to be of no mean order of beauty. A small cloister was, originally, connected with the southwest corner of the temple, as is shown by the continuation of the ancient basement moulding, - a moulding which surrounds, indeed, all Buddhist buildings, in this quarter of India. Here was, probably, the vestry or retiring room of the officiating priests. Some of its walls. are still visible.

It is greatly to be regretted that a large portion of the site of these ruins is in a disgustingly filthy state; so that none but the most ardent investigator would care to visit a place so foul and abominable.

In pronouncing upon the originality of any of the buildings which have been described in this chapter, great caution should be shown, especially as they are, all, in the hands of Mohammedans, who have utilized them for various purposes; and these are a race of people, in India, who have ever exhibited a wonderful aptitude for breaking down old Hindu edifices, and employing their materials in the erection of their own religious structures. At the same time, while, doubtless, very extensive transformations have been made in the course of ages, it is not too much to suppose that, in some few instances, portions of old buildings have escaped the general destruction, and still stand as at first erected. At any rate, as there is a vast amount of sculptured stones visible in all directions on this extensive site, whatever opinions may be formed respecting the existing buildings in which they are more or less found, there

can be none regarding the antiquity of much of the material of which they are composed. We may fairly suppose that one or more of the monasteries referred to by Hiouen Thsang, together with the temples attached to them, as in the case of the monasteries at Sárnáth,were situated here on the banks of the Kund. Many of the blocks of stone have one or more letters or symbols inscribed upon them, of which I made a collection of seventy. They are, chiefly, of the Gupta period, which is, therefore, in all likelihood, the date of most of the buildings to which they primarily belonged. When looking upon these remains, we cannot fail to recall the time when the ancient edifices, formerly here, were frequented by crowds of priests, monks, and disciples of the Buddhist faith. Then, probably, the tank was flanked, on three sides, by a lofty terrace of stone, while a spacious ghát, or flight of stairs, was on its southern side. Around the edges of this terrace, both southwards and westwards, ran cloisters; and to the east there must have been massive temples, capable of supporting such caps or kalases, one of them nine feet in diameter,—as have been referred to in this description. It is a matter of much interest to the archeologist, to save from total oblivion these scattered traces of the past, when the Buddhists, who were long since expelled the country, were still famous, if not powerful, and, perhaps, were already engaged in that persistent struggle with the Brahmans which eventually terminated in their own utter extinction in India.

In illustration of these investigations, there were originally submitted to the Bengal Asiatic Society two

plans, one representing this entire locality, and the other, the ground-floor of the Buddhist temple; and, besides, six photographic views, all which were appended, as plates, to the paper as it appeared in their Journal. Of these, one, namely, the representation of the Buddhist temple, has been reproduced in this work. It should be borne in mind that the dome is of Mohammedan construction, and that only the lower portion of the building is of Buddhist origin.

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CHAPTER XX.

FURTHER Account of Ancient Remains recently discovered in Benares and its vicinity.-Meaning of the epithets 'ancient' and 'old' in relation to Benares.-Ancient Remains, No. I., in Ráj Ghát Fort.Ancient Remains, No. II., near Ráj Ghát Fort.-Ancient Remains, No. III., Small Mosque in the Budáon Mahalla.-Ancient Mound or Ridge. Ancient Remains, No. IV., Tiliyá Nálá and Maqdam Sahib. -Ancient Remains, No. V., Lát Bhairo.-Ancient Remains, No. VI., Battís Khambhá. Ancient Remains, No. VII., Arhai Kangúra Mosque.-Hindu Temple of Kirtti Bisheswar.-Ancient Remains, No. VIII., Chaukhambhá Mosque.—Ancient Remains, No. IX., Aurungzeb's Mosque, near Bisheswar Temple.-Ancient Remains, No. X., A'd-Bishes war Temple and neighbouring Mosque.—Ancient Remains, No. XI., Stone Pillar standing in Sone ká Táláo.-Note.

FULLY satisfied, as we believe most persons are, that Benares is a city of extreme antiquity, we have endeavoured to ascertain to what portions this epithet will apply. And by the term 'old' is meant, in this chapter, not a few hundred years merely, although a city six or seven hundred years old is generally regarded as an ancient city. But it is necessary to remember that Benares lays claim to an antiquity of several thousands of years; and, undoubtedly, it is referred to in various ancient Hindu and Buddhist writings. Consequently, we are not satisfied with discovering, in it, edifices erected half a dozen centuries ago, any more than we should feel satisfied with discovering edifices of a