each admirable..; The whole front- o f the gateway i* carved
with.rpfes andsvariety.of ornaments,.all chafte andejegant, the
marks o f the great genius of the architect.
Benares. Benares hands about fevente.en miles from Cbrnar, on the
north fide of .the riv.er,.in form.of a c r e fc e n ta fine city, rich
and populous, and. regularly built. T he ftreets are. narrow,
hut the houfes, for Indian houfes, very high, many confifting of
five itories each; like thofe in Edinburgh-, inhabited by different
famihes, but the more wealthy live, in detached houfes, with
open courts furrounded by a. wall.
I n . the middle of the city is a great mofque, with two minarets.
It was built by that famous bigot Aurengzebe, who de-
flroyed a magnificent pagoda on the fpot, and built the prefent
mofque of the fame extent and height as the building which he
deftroyed. In all parts o f this city, and along, the banks of the.
Ganges, are remains of temples, this being the great feat
of their religion. All thefe pagodas have gauts or flights of
fteps from the water fide, which give the banks a moil magni-
Th*GeiSI. ficent appearance. The Gelfi Gaut makes a moil ftriking fight.
G a v e ,, oa srfie turret and two pavilions are built over the river for the
S t a i r s . v c
enjoyment o f the freih air, and all this at private expence> tor
no other than that benevolent and public fpirited end..
S b a m s a s t o . I i m a g i n e that Mr. Darnell's plate X IV. o f the fort and town.
of Bbamnagur, built over the Ganges, by Bulwint Sing, father of
Cheyt Sing, was more defigned for a palace than a fortrefs; perhaps
for both, as perfons of their turbulent difpofition might
forefee the neceflity of both. The lower part feems for defence &
the upper has all the appearance o f a vaft houfe adapted to the
climate of Hindoojlan.
8 . .
In the rebellion o f''CVeyt Sing, fpeedily to be mentioned, we
fuftained a great -lofs in this town bÿ the ill-judged ambition o f
a -Captain Mayaffer, who, without orders, led his troops to the
attack. The ftreets were narrow, the houfes o f ftone, and every
one filled with the Rajah's pedple. Captain Mayaffer, Captain
Doxan, and a hundred and three men of all denominations,
with two guns and one howitzer, were loft.
N° XVI. The- Defafumade Gaut féems the fame with the
fplendid façade, with the cool retreats behind, that are mentioned
by Mr. Hodges, and which have the conveniencies of
flairs to the Water edges, uncommonly extenfive and magnificent.
I am well informed that thefe buildings are not mere
façades, but fubftantial habitable houfes.
In a temple named Fifs Fijh'na, it is a remark of Mr. Hodges,
that the more he examined it, the more he was furprifed to
find ornaments on it which were familiar to his eyes. He
drew the whole, but has given one column of moft exqüifite
beauty, and found that bri each column were the different
ornamehts which were to be found in the other parts o f the
building. On a large circular building, evidently an Hindoo
temple, there ate ftill veftiges o f fome o f the ornaments, and
on one he found the Grecian foroll. From the Grecian colonies
fent by fome of the focc'effors of Alexander, Or by the embaffa-
dors o f Gree'ce, might hàvfe beëri introduced architects, who left
behind them thefe fpecimens o f th'eir ikili.
THe diftriit of Benares yields our Cdmpahy £. 380,000 a year
clear revenue. The Ayeen calls this city- Barànaffy, its antient
nairle was Ka£ÿ. This is the great univerfity of the Hindoos ;
here their fciences are taught, and alfo the principles of their
E e 2 religion,
D esasumade
G a u t .
T he V iss
V lSHNA.
Se a t of the
Sciences.