The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-03-16

HopeH0 W JHto SONIC WOue OF
grotesque carvings which the exposure
to the atmosphere for centuries had in
places reduced to an extremely brittle
and friable condition.
1t was nervous work for Ross, who
had to cautiously feel his way, although
his eyes, now focused to the
tive darkness, could make out much in
outline Of the building about him.
Ross. in climbing tho gopuram, had
originally intended, by dropping down
inside, to find entrance from the into
rior Enclosures into the court of the tenn
plc, but as he now worked round the
back Of this tower he found himself on
the roof Of what he knew to be one of
the pillared halls, and sundry streaks
of red light that came up through crew
ices II cranks convinced him that
some ceremony must be in progress be-
low. He crept down to the side Of the
roof, the nature of the structure render
ing this easy, and here the accumula-
ton Of soil for centuries had led to the
growth of much vegetation, and in one
instance he found q deep, descending
fissure in the decaying and friable brick
work, from the bottom of which came
a strong light. He determined to en-
largo this opening and descend into it
as far rs he could, and this was by no
means difficult, SO that in u short time
he found himself wodged in the cleft
which occurred in n portion of the slop.
ing roof. Here Immediately resting on
M of the giant grotesquely carved pill
lars of the hall below, into which he
could see very we'll, be took up a par
ticularly awkward position.
Tho sight that now met his vision
was N that no western eyes had ever
yet rested On.
The hall was dimly lighted by many
lamps, bringing into bright relief the
many Idols around Of gold and silver
and brass and even iron. There could be
seen representations CT Vishnu in his
many forms, some Of which Ross recoe-
nlzed, while others were entirely strange
to him. VishDu could DO gazed OH here
as a fish, q boar, a man lion, an awful
image of absolute fcrocity, animated
ny devilish intelligence of sheer destruo-
%tlVeness, as a dwarf, as Parasurama,
armed with an aX, rs Kalki, with a
sword aud Il winged horse, and in many
other shapes. Before each Of these idols
burned q small lamp, and the multiple.
ity OF shadows thus created, the strange
carvings of the pillars, and the utterly
lnhuman aspect and expression Of most
OF the faces, sculptured according to Eu-
ropean ideas. combined to produce a ter.
rlble impression OH Ross mind, already
80 completely overstrained. But what
were the idols, fierce, frowning, sensual
and often hideously repulsive, as typical
OF the worst and foulest Of human pas.
sions n ~propensities. compared to what
ne now saw st tho farther end of this
hall, where he beheld a recumbept
figure OF vishnu, a stalk surmounted
with the mystical lotus coming ont Of
his middle and over him for canopy the
Blended necks and heads Of four motion.
less cobras?
Ross had seen before a representation
OF This god resting ON Sesha, his snake
or infinity, but the more nc looked NJ
ehese cobras tho more convinced was he
that they were real snakes charmed bv
some occult Jugglery into the rightly Of
,serpents Of sfone. There was a kjj1d. Of
ieyeied space at Tho feet of tho REDUNDANT
idol and this waa oyerlaid with fiowe.s.