Gaudma, sitting cross' legged on a pedestal. The quarries, whence the materials
are procured, are-Wily a few miles 'distant ; the marble is -brought
•hither in shapeless Blocks' and after being fashioned, the images are publicly
sold to ‘those who havë1 grace' enough to purchase them. -The largest--that
Ifobjserved; a little exceeded the human size, th e price of which, they-'said,
was one hundred tackals, twelve or thirteen-.pounds, but some diminutive
Gaudmas were to be disposed of, as low as two or three tackals. The
Eeedegee, or steersman of my boat, bought one' to protect us on'-',the way
down. The workmen were extremely civil and communicativefHhey would •
not part with their sacred commodity, I was tbldi to any except Birmans,
but they answered o u r questions with good humour, and.oa^scuriOsity
neither excited surprise, nor gave umbrage. Their tools are-isiftipfe;y they
shape the image, with a chisel and mallet, ktyf’afterwards smooth it,’ by
freestone and water. Many, óf the idols were heaufifulfy polished, which,
Ï understood, was effectedbyrubbing the marble with three dififerenbsórts.
of stone; the firs t rough, the second finer, and the th ird such as hones are
made of, the Workmen afterwards use the palms of their hands. This operation
gives -it a transparent clearness, far surpassing the brightes t polish of
which European marble is susceptible. Such images as were designed for
gilding, did not receive so high a finishing.
• Haif a league further we came to where the temple of Kommoxleo rears
its massive and antique pile. This venerable and curious edifice stands on
an eminence, which renders it a conspicuous object,.at thé distance 'of many
miles. It is composed of solid masonry without cavity of any sort, arid in
shape resembles a bell; there is a-high, railing of wood encircling it, twelve
feet distant from the base ; the circumference on the outside of the railing,
by my measurement, was four hundred paces, perhaps three hundred and.
fiFty yards,'- and t^Sheigh i ’d'id*riot$ip[}cai > IcssH-h an |thfe^Hundred feet; it
eirded’MRia clumsv.»cortii4 umfdoincd-U i spn-c bivfln custom a n umlwellsJ,
find exhibited a^-striking ’.eon'u a'sd 'till iihC^-A fciyfl^^Tid^uH- larger temple
oil iSJidomaddo :tpnilecd the stile* of.ns^silui^uye iildii afeiP,‘til tl i trwas
built*.iei&eT bv a Pp®plii piissi.sVmgitiSfcllifi'dWfi.if.ntS^tTons oharqhtfffit
ture,oorvaf a' far morcsieipbtcipciaod r it iv isfimichMdSUfilot?',melegaiiband
heayyt^|lMmg^.we.Jiadtscorn. m tho>c i'mi'ittyV.&Tl^i'dbl ijadV>n<iei> been
richk^gilded;iancUthe lunainsio* wooden gal'kmS£.hoin
and gilding'w^rc not qUitLgoblitci tied 1 u" soaUsfLd^ail7t^M';|jtiit.suloi
ments had’’ probably. bcoii?qfu.n>'i<.iu.Wi,(l sttVcc* tils fiiVi^fo^u^i^ist'of^tlie
temple. Kommqdoo w as/onc-fAcekbi an chli u«, 11V^Ssviricti,tv .tand iVsTiUjht’kl
inegreat f^e^en'e#;c many dc^olccsiFw'euS s't unn,r-Migjmnth 1*tfb^iyi” v fnlst
othersiwere prostrate at tlitnfdovolions»,, 1 he* BirnraraboisUbf^tllaantil
q u ity o f this! building ;. they a si ribe its'wse‘>to'siipi]ir^ufaH®nc_u^aiKl
fix it'sJ’date further back th an ‘flic Mosaic-lalni . It}fose!d ^vo^er, ‘vs ere-the
talcs ofngnorance toA,dn£ejl the want olkmmhdgif but the tra its fe ifo g
duration were certainly evident,* anilfEfeoftjrais^i/o^irrdWlOTT'ft^Kijrmiiiodoo
-Praw seems likely to' resist the effects* ol tiriie,'.‘foi ntafrytSgrs^lf
Fioin the site of Kommoiloo. vse had an extended \iievw'ofJ,thB,r'i,vij^'vi.ft3^Kj
ing through a rich and level country y ^ c p t’sicLsable 1 ikes lay^oithe^outlii
ward; the plains were now, cultivating, whil s ttn u'trfe r^u v Villages and-hedls.
of cattle denoted population and plenty. At a.vLfort jjdjstiinwe isoni'ihc/foot
of the hillj' was a long avenue foimed by a double row of ttrnaririd tree "'of
uncommon stateliness and beauty, under the shade ok^ljiclJ'a’Jine ofcshops
was erected bn either side, where, besides pro,Visiphs*yandi;clot'h, uteusds in
brass ware, and fireworks, were sold:«' On'a'gr^en? a little way r^ireif from
the road, we observed a’nutnber of’people employed' in-makirig‘'r&Gk'ets,f th‘e