66 ing perseverance." The author, whose minute and excellent description is much too long to be here cited, mentions among the sculptures the beautiful figure of a youth, and, in another group, a male "leading a female towards a majestic figure seated in the corner of the niche, his head covered like our judges on the bench; the countenance and attitude of the female highly expressive of modesty and a timid reluctance." Farther on he adds, the part of this surprising monument of human skill and perseverance, hitherto described, is generally called the Great Cave; its length is one hundred and thirty-five feet, and its breadth nearly the same." And, again returning to the sculpture, "gigantic as the figures are," he says, "the mind is not disagreeably moved on viewing in them a certain indication of the harmony of the proportions. Having measured three or four, and examined the proportions by the scale we allow the most correct, I found many stood even this test, while the disagreements were not equal to what are met with every day in people whom we think by no means ill-proportioned"." Another traveller, who has left us an entertaining account of Western India, observes that "the principal temple and adjoining apartments are two hundred and twenty feet long, and one hundred and fifty broad; in these dimensions exceeding the largest work at Salsette; but being very inferior in height, notwithstanding the numerous and richer decorations at Elephanta, the spectator is constantly reminded of being in a cave. At Salsette, the lofty concave roof and noble columns have a majestic appearance: yet the observer feels more surprise and admiration at Elephanta than at Salsette he beholds four rows of massive columns cut out of the solid rock, uniform in their order, and placed at regular distances, so as to form three mag• Goldingham, Asiatic Researches, vol. iv. p. 424-434. VOL. I. S nificent avenues from the principal entrance to the grand idol, which terminates the middle vista; the general effect being heightened by the blueness of the light, or rather gloom, peculiar to the situation. The central image is composed of three colossal heads, reaching nearly from the floor to the roof, a height of fifteen feet 10." To these let us add the testimony of the tasteful, learned, and accomplished Heber, and our proof of the grandeur and magnificence of this cavern-temple will be complete. "Two-thirds of the ascent up the higher of the two hills," he says, "is the great cavern, in a magnificent situation, and deserving all the praise which has been lavished on it." For the details he refers to another author, and then adds:"Though my expectations were highly raised, the reality much exceeded them, and both the dimensions, the proportions, and the sculpture seemed to me to be of a much more noble character, and a more elegant execution than I had been led to suppose. Even the statues are executed with great spirit, and are some of them of no common beauty, considering their dilapidated condition and the coarseness of their material "1" Of the cave-temples of Kennery, in the island of Salsette, the same excellent authority observes :"These are, certainly, in every way remarkable from their number, their beautiful situation, their elaborate carving, and their marked connection with Buddha and his religion. The caves are scattered over two sides of a high rocky hill, at many different elevations, and of various sizes and forms. Most of them appear to have been places of habitation for monks or hermits. One very beautiful apartment, of a square form, its walls covered with sculpture, and 10 Forbes, Oriental Memoirs, vol. i. p. 429, 430. surrounded internally by a broad stone bench, is called the durbar,' but I should rather guess had been a school. Many have deep and well carved cisterns attached to them, which, even in this dry season (May), were well supplied with water. The largest and most remarkable of all is a Buddhist temple, of great beauty and majesty, aud which even in its present state would make a very stately and convenient place of Christian worship. It is entered through a fine and lofty portico, having on its front, but a little to the left hand, a high detached octagonal pillar, surmounted by three lions seated back to back. On each side of the portico is a colossal statue of Buddha, with his hands raised in the attitude of benediction, and the screen which separates the vestibule from the temple is covered, immediately above the dodo, with a row of male and female figures, nearly naked, but not indecent, and carved with considerable spirit, which apparently represent dancers. . . . . . In the centre of the semicircle, and with a free walk all round it, is a mass of rock left solid, but carved externally like a dome, and so as to bear a strong general likeness to our Saviour's sepulchre, as it is now chiselled away and enclosed in St. Helena's Church at Jerusalem. On the top of the dome is a sort of spreading ornament, like the capital of a column. is, apparently, intended to support something, and I was afterwards told at Carli, where such an ornament, but of greater size, is likewise found, that a large gilt umbrella used to spring from it. This solid dome appears to be the usual symbol of Buddhist adoration, and, with its umbrella ornament, may be traced in the Shoo-Madoo of Pegu, and other more remote structures of the same faith. Though it is different in its form and style of ornament from the Lingam, I cannot help thinking it has been originally intended to represent the same popular object of that almost It |