Indian Antiquary Vol 01

SR No.: 032493
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

Page 250

220
probably 150 feet above the plain, but we climbed to the top of the inscription rock. From that we could see to the south-east and west, as far to as the foot of the distant hills all around. Mr. Minchin pointed out villages which he said he knew to be ten miles off, and there could be no doubt that in the event of an attack on the fort, its defenders would have known of the approach of their enemies as soon as the latter passed the hills, and must thus have gained several hours for preparation. The horizon is bounded by hills all round. We could not see to the north, because immediately to the north of the rock, to the top of which we had climbed, rose another peak, the highest of the mass, and to the top of which we did not climb, chiefly because we had no time while we were there, but partly also because the thickets all round the base and the grass were always wet, and rendered a thorough soaking a matter of certainty. The view from the inscription-rock, which I suppose to be 120 feet above the plain, is exceedingly pretty, and much more like a view in a hilly districts at home than what one would expect to see in India. From the rock we could distinctly trace all round the line of the mound or rampart of earth enclosing the so-called 'lac fort. It is irregular in outline, for I think I made out six distinct faces, though three were "far longer than the others. The distance round this rampart is about 2 or 3 miles. The inscription is cut on the side of a large block of rock, about the centre of the mass of rocks, and faces pretty nearly south. There was once a large open space iminediately in front of the inscription-rock. Some twenty years ago a Brahuan Bairagi or ascetic beggar took advantage of this to build himself a very substantial two-storied house right in front of the inscription. Some years ago, I think in 1858, when Mr. Minchin, and, if I remember rightly, Sir Walter Elliot (then Mr. Elliot and Commissioner of the Northern Sarcars) visited the place and saw the inscription, this Bairagi made himself objectionably obstructive, and prevented them from turning their visit to as great advantage as they might have done, although, indeed, Mr. Minchin even then took a photograph of the rock. Mr. Minchin having a lively recollection of the obstructiveness of the Bairagi on his former visit, told Mr. Carr and me that he was afraid we should be able to do nothing unless the Bairagi was turned out of his house, and that even then, he thought, we should find the man a nuisance and a hindrance to the taking of copies of the inscription. This fear on the part of Mr. Minchin, I am happy to say, was falsified by the result. I was quite prepared to make use of 'moral suasion,' and to try the influence of a little bribery, if necessary, and if that failed to tell the man he must allow us to do what we wanted, and retire for a few days. To my surprise he never spoke a word of remonstrance. I do not know what the Sub-Magistrate said to him, or what arguinents
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JULY 5, 1872.
he used; but the Bairagi voluntarily, I was told, not only left his house while we were there, but gave it up to our use! The dark room of the photographer was made in the lower story of the house, and all the chemicals, etc., were kept there. When we were coming away the Bairagi came to me, and said that it would cost him Rs. 25 or Rs. 30 to purify his house, not, as one would suppose, because Mr. Minchin and I had been in it, but because he thought certain of Mr. Minchin's followers (shepherds by caste, I think) had been in it. I may remark, en passant, that, whereas Mr. Carr and I had heard that the gentleman always goes about with rather less clothing on him than the proverbial fig leaf, in fact, stark naked, he thrice made his appearance before me, clothed in very fine white garments. To his modest request for the sum abovenamed for purification I demurred. I said I was not prepared to pay so much for that purpose, and that, although if he wished I would apply to Government for it on his account, I doubted if they would grant it. I then casually, as it were, asked him who was the owner of the land upon which he had built his house. "Sarkar" was his reply. "You have no doubt a titledeed ?" I asked. "No" was the answer. "Then some Collector or other officer gave you permission to build the house here?" was my next question. He still replied "No." I then asked him if he did not think it possible that his right to be there at all and to have a house there might be called in question, when he begau to claim Rs. 25 or Rs. 30 to purify the house. He thought over this a little, and then said that as these gauds (shepherds) had not gone into the house, it would not require purification.
Mr. Minchin brought with him a man who very easily made the characters as plain as they could well be, and rendered a photograph of them as distinct as a page of print. He mixed chunam and water into a rather thick white-wash of the consistency of cream. With this he smeared the whole face of the inscription, thus obliterating every trace of a letter. Then he wiped the surface of the stone with an oiled cloth. By this method he removed all the whitewash which was on the surface of the rock, but left that which was in the interstices and in the inequalities of the letters. The oil smeared over the rock also enabled the white-wash in the letters to resist rain to a considerable extent, but not altogether, as I saw in the case of the fourth inscription. When the white-washing and cleaning with the oiled cloth were over, the photograph could be taken.
With regard to the tracings, Mr. Grahame found some difficulty in carrying out Mr. Burnell's plan, owing principally to the unfavourable weather, which was very wet. Mr. Burnell's plan consists in pressing a sheet of damp paper over the inscriptions, and thus taking a moulding of the characters. The paper used by Mr. Grahame was cartridge paper. He first soaked it well, then applied it to the rock