46 ANTIQUITIES.
They De in an eastern direction from Stira-kêrtd, and are. distant from
that capital about twenty-six English miles,_ being'situated-'om.'the summit
afidm ctf stile toailêc Wis to.be found on- the. hase of the .mountain L&wu.
Erom Siu'a-Ttérta oxn road was a continued ascent, which: increased;.as! we
approached the hills : tlje country moat highly.,cultivatéd, and in therimme-
diate ■ vtónity. <tf-the hills» where the id iy Cultivation-jxredominated, 8 beau-
tifid beyond description*
'iSfd& is the name.jof the village, to. which thë lands hi.
<rf these riiins: are; annexedand • We were not' able'>to?i ascertain that they
were designated by any other name, or that the term Séku hi.ó. anydmme^
diate reference or-application'to the buildings.' r '
t- The. princapal. structure :is a truncated^ pyramid^ situated; on the most
elevated of .three successive terraces.*. v tBhe.r3ruiffls. 0fv two ‘obelisks,.having
the form of,the section of a pyramid, -.are. ajso bbservabie in ‘tiie- vieinity-of
the principal building,. a® d • on each side • of the western front appear several
piles of toinous bufldmgs andl'Seulpture. • vTbg rtei|gtb' ofd|ht Ss
about one hundred and fifty-seven feet; the depth qfi the first, eightyafêet y
of;the.secopd, thirty jt-ramlrMifie highest, (^eduin^ed-'antlttibj^ty feeta'i
til The approach, is drom the: .west, ..through: • threeoporfehes pn gateway s, - of
which the outermost alone is now standing.- hht enoiigh- remains.'; of: the
second and third to indicate a Similarity of construction,. Thf« porch is a
building of about. sixteen-ifdet-high; in tolerable £ preservation, of ta pyramidal
form. The .entrance is seven feet and a half -high,, and about three
feet wide * a goigon head forms‘the key-stöneof A « arch, nfflte ascent is
first by seven, aftd shortly after by three -steps; and in reliëf; .on the-centre
of the flooring under the porch, is a representation of the male and female
pudenda.
• On the .outer face of the'porch several figureé.atë sculptured..in seISfit
On thé' right side, the!psincipal figure is. that of a man of monstrous appearance
devouring a child; to his right a dog sitting, thé head wanting, and a
bird of the stork- kind neattherootiofa trée, on öne.of the branches of which
a bird natiinMke. adovë br. pigeon!iaperched jfoverihe/figtire is; a- bird on the
wing, reither the hawk ór eagle-.''-.Abotfeithe-figure of a man with'thê tail’ of
a writhing; snake in his mouth, is andther which appeared to us-to be that
of a sphynx; it is however represented as Abating in the ah’, with; .the legs,
arms, and tail extended. 1 The tail is similar to that of the lizard species,
and
* See vignette, page 1. f See annexed plate, No 2.