The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-03-25
Explorations In a fHnnnist,n.

For a period Of forty years 1t has been
known that interesting Buddhist remains
existed in the Jellalabad Valley, although
little or no attention has been givin to their
investigation. Mr.. William Simpson, hav-
Ing been quartered for some months in the
valley, with the force under General Sir
Samuel Browne, has been able to visit most
of the remains in that region and to make
sketches of them, and the results Of his in
vestigations are given by him in Il paper
putlished.in recent numbcrof the Jou,7,ut
Of the Society Of Aats. These Buddhist
remains, says Mr.. Simpson, are little more
than mounds Here and there the crumb-
ling remains of stupa may be seen, and
fragments Of walls can be traced in the
heaps. The immense quantity of these
mounds is astonishing; and, as it Is known
that these Buddhist establishments were
mOnastcrics, the extent of the remains seems
to indicate in the past a population Of ascc-
tics alone far greater than the population of
the present day. In the Buddhist period,
the country must have been under high
state of civilization, where wealth abound
cd and art was cultivated. The vcstiges of
art still remaining show that the religious
structures Of the time were large and i'm
portant. Il style of architecture was fol-
lowed in which sculpture was largely prac-
tiCcd, and in which the effect was hcightcn-
cd by the use Of color and gold. The sruct-
urcS connected with the practice of the
Buddhist faith were 'viharas," or monas-
tcrics places in which each monk had his
cell, and with buildings lor worship One
prominent forLl Of the ritual was connected
will, structures which are now known rs
'topcs' or stupas. "Dagoba" and ''cllait-
ya" are also terms used to designate he
same kud of structure. The Atghanstan
topcs, unlike those of Sanch Bharut, and
Amaravati, have square base. 1t is orna-
mcntcd with corniCo and plaster; large
and imposing stairs arc made to ascend to
tho platform formed by it above on whitN
the circular part of tho topc stood. Amol..,
tho topcs in the Jclalabad Valley which are
not quite reduced to the condition Of
mounds the Greek influence is very dis
tinctly marked in the architecture. Tho
capitals arc all Corinthian; and the more
ornamental structures have series of Corin-
THAN pilastcrs with base m0uldings and
1riozcs Regarding tho monasttrlcs litt'o
can be SAID, Tor scarce vcstigc Of thom
now remain. All throughout Afshanstnn
there IS All immense number Of caves. At
BamiNn, about hundred miles north of
Cabul, there is what may be called city of
cnyerns. At llada, and at almost all tie
groups of topes, thcro are numerous caves
associs; ed with them. Nearly all Of these,
as rule, are about tho same size. They
arc merely archcd rcccsscs in tho rock,
about twelve feet high; OF the same width,
and about twenty feet long. That they were
decorated with color is shown by the traces
still visible in the decorations in Il small
group at Hada, Enough is left also to dis
tinguish panels, IN rows, with heads of
Buddba OF Buddhist saints with the nm-
bus. ut Darunta there is very large and
remarkable group of caves. The rock above
had monasterics and topcs Of an extensive
character upon it. The most interesting Of
these caves arc in perpendicular cliff over
hanging the Cabul river. MIR. Simpson con-
cludcs his paper with Il short account Of
I9osh tOpc, near Jcilnlabad Or this structure
nothing is left but the lower part of the
square base; and there is only Il small Dor
ton remaining Of the first course Of the cir
cular part OF the topc, which is eighty
feet in diameter. The base is 100 feet
square, and ornamcntcd with Corinthan
pilastcrs There had been an incl0surc all
round tho tope, forming courtyard about
o00 feet square. Through this the
principal gateway entered from the south,
IN line with the original stairs on the soutl
and north sidcof tho topc. This approach was
evidently an important constructions There
was further evidence Of what il had been
III the remains OF colossal figures, which
were brought to light. The slzo of these
may be Judged of by the size Of the feet,
which were twcnty-thrcc inches long and
which were all that remained OF the statue
TO which they belonged. On digging a tun-
mel into the center of the topc, the internal
wall was found to be composed Of stones
ana States, SO arranged rs to produce di-
aper Or chcckcrcd pattern-a style of mas
onry peculiar to all tho remains of the
buddhist period. In his excavations, Mr.
f,lnpson was fortunate enough to come upOn
the cell, which was formed of layers of
state, and was perfect cube OF sixteen
inches. In this repository, which constitu-
tcd the sanclum, in honor Of which the
monument had been raised, and to which
tho ritua t.trt - o. the Buddh.s were direct,
ca, there were found two hndsful of dark
looking dust, which were probably part of
Inc ashes OF some noted holy man Of the
tlnc, deposited after cremation-thc rule
ol tho buddhist priesthood. On top of the
ashes NY q golden relic holder, octngonal
IN form, about four inches long, ana set
on each OF its faces with stones Among
The ashes were twenty gold coins seventeen
OF them Bactrian or lndoScythiun and
three Roman. These coins, which were in
splendid condition, and the relic holder,
were no doubt deposited az offerings along
With the ashes ut the conservation ccrc-
mony Of the shrine. The coins are only u
negative evidence toward the date of the
tope; but from them it is certain that the
latter is not older than the second century.
Low much later it may be is rather iii ill.,
cult question Us yet to determine.
leo Made by Means OF Ether