me, said that they-jeSembled. the Rakuss of the Hindoos. These aEe guardians
of.the temple., k
Nearly in the centre of the. east face of the. area;a?q two human figures
in stucco, beneath, a gilded, umbrella.; one, standing represents .a man
with-a book before hkn, and a pen in his hand ; he.is called Thasiameer
the recorder-of mortal nierits and mortal misdeeds; . the other, , a female
figure kneeling! is Mahasumdera, the protectress,,(d the.imivers.e.v: sprlong
as the universe is doomed to last; but when the time .offgeneod dissolution
arrives, by her hand the world is to be overwhelmed and everlastr-
ingly destroyed. •
A small brick building near the north-east angle contains, an. upright
marble slab, four feet high, and three feet wide:-<theEe,.isra>&m^gible
inscription on-it: I was told it was. an account of the donation&ofipilgrims
of only a recent date; ;
/, Along the whole extent of the north face of the upper terrace, there is
a wooden shed for the convenience of devotees. who come.from'a^distant
part of the country. On the north side of the temple are three.dirge bells,
of good workmanship, suspended nigh the ground, between p illars; :seyeral
deers horns lie strewed around; those who come to pay their devotions first
take up one of the horns, and strike the bell three-times;, giving an alternate
stroke to the ground: this act, I-was told, is to announce to-the spirit
of Gaudma the approach of a suppliant. There are several low benches
near the foot' of the temple, on which the person who comes to pray, places
his offering, Commonly consisting of boiled rice, a plate of sweetmeats, or
cocoa nut fried in oil; when it is given, the devotee-cares not what becomes
of i t ; the crows and wild-dogs often devour it in presence of the donor;
whenever attempts to disturb the animals. I saw several plates ofvittuals
disposed of in thisijnanne,^K^^Mder^opdjjiit,^|stthe^ggiwj[th all that.
.Theie ant, man) .small d ornjdos^mi.the. areas o^hoth^terraces, which are
ireglected, and. suffered, t0(fall jHit-o^decay. NumbeElesgjimage&pLGaudma
lie ifidi^ggMffiately scattered. ^^o^Bii!m^u„wfiQjpurcJh^sgs; an idpl,,first
prgouEfWtfejeB^m^yijgfiC^secg^i^fj^bSjpeTf^Emed by^the l^fehaaq-s-;;
he,,thfin .take% ^s.j),uj;ch^ej^t^Jhate^fipj!acred|^ajildi|ig is mitsjjjcoifej
\enient, anti then, jf^iccs ^jtlnii.jth^slii^Ujriol,,a kiqum. in ton lIic opmij
ground helot e.tlio Lelnplc. .doesdie ;c) c,r,,ig uiyscyit^hhave _u i\ aiiMc-ty,
about it^preser.vation^bu|-dea'ves thc-diyinit^to s-liilfrJoii^i'isj II- Soiii^oij
tjjps.c idols'are'niatl.e of rn irlik that .is found iiboji^iTgJ^K^hh^^Uuf.thel
capital’p f the Birman ..domjhions, and addijte ó^a^gÉfeS&tólisfohjmany
aic formultif .wood, and gilded, and-a i^jvaicpl,sgJ\gr;^;^icJajj.u^ ho\\c\civ.
ait,,.not usuall) expdf-ul and neglected like die otliets S"ifv.0i^.oixl-igwld is:
rarely used, except imthe-composjtian ofchpusehold. gods.
-<Dn both- therterraces are a number o f whit-e^e^fi®}^ical£,flags, raised on
bamboo poles ;ithese, flags arè '.péb.uliarto it he Rhahaan$jancL\£iie'(c0nsi-.<
4bred’:as »emblematic of purity, and of tKsir-^acfic^{KiBo|pna juOn 'the Itopi
öf.ïhetstaff' -there is a henza, orrgoose, Barman and'
Segu e nations.
-OaBrom the upper projection that surrounds the base o f ShoemadoQ,,th*è prospect
ó f the -circumjacent country istexiensive and p ic t jar^scjue.sf jb n ti t dsiaj
prospect of nature in her rude-sl state; there are few ^habitants,, -,and
searcelyany cultivation. The hills óf Martaban rise to • the '^fearef,': and-
the fSitang river;'winding along rthb .plains; -gives an' intermpjtaf^^$j£p$iife
waters. To thé north-west!, abodt »forty qnles, teï4^B^j^dlladzet ibSllsv
whence the Peguev river takes its rise?;, hills retbajlabje only for. the