which they fetch from a Quarry neer Agra. They cleave like our Slates, some of them being fifteen foot long, and nine or ten foot broad, yet not above six fingers thick, especially when you cleave them as you would have them for use: They also make very fair Pillars. The Fortress of Agra, the Walls of Jeha∣nabat, the King's House, the two Mosquees, and several Noblemens Houses are all built of this Stone.
The Pagod is built upon a great Platform of an Octogonal Figure, pav'd with Free-stone; being adorn'd round about with the figures of all sorts of crea∣tures, especially Apes. There is an ascent to it two ways of fifteen or sixteen steps a-piece, every step being two foot broad, for two persons to go a-brest. One of the ascents leads up to the great Portal of the Pagod, the other behind up to the Chancel. The Pagod does not take up above half the Platform, the other half serving for a Piazza before it. The Structure is in the form of a Cross, like the rest of the Pagods, in the midst whereof a great Duomo, with two others of each side somewhat less, advance themselves above the rest of the building. The out-side of the building from top to bottom is adorn'd with the figures of Rams, Apes and Elephants, and several sorts of Mon∣sters. From one foot below every one of these Duomo's, to the Roof, at such and such spaces, are Windows, some five, some six feet high, and to every Window belongs a Balcone, where four persons may stand. Every Bal∣cone is cover'd with a little Arch, supported by four Pillars, others by eight, every two touching one another. Round about the Duomo's are Niches fill'd with the figures of Daemons. Some with four arms, some with four legs. Some with mens heads upon the bodies of Beasts, and long tails that hang down to their thighes: There are abundance of Apes; and indeed it is an ugly sight to behold so many deform'd spectacles. There is but one great door to the Pagod, upon each side whereof there are Pillars and Figures of Men and Monsters. The hinder-part is clos'd with a close Balister of Stone-Pillars five or six inches in Diameter, into which, as into a kind of Sanctum Sanctorum, none but the Bramins are permitted to enter: but for Money, I got in, and saw a square Altar some fifteen or sixteen foot from the door, co∣ver'd with an old Tissue of Gold and Silver, upon which stood the great Idol, which they call Ram, Ram. You see nothing but his head, which is of a very black Marble, with two Rubies instead of eyes. All the body, from the shoul∣ders to the feet, is cover'd with a Robe of Purple-Velvet, with some small embroidery. There are two other Idols on each side of him two foot high, ap∣parell'd in the same manner; only their faces are white, which they call Bec∣chor. There I also saw a Machine sixteen foot square, and between twelve and fifteen foot high; cover'd with painted Calicuts, representing the shapes of De∣vils. This Machine running upon four Wheels, they told me, was a moving Altar, upon which they carri'd their great God in Procession to visit the other Gods, as also to the River, whither all the people went upon their great Festi∣val.
The fourth Pagod is that of Tripeti, in the Province of Carnatica, toward the Coast of Coromandel, and Cape Comorin. I saw it as I went to Maslipatan. It is a Pagod to which there belong a great number of little lodgings for the Bramins: so that altogether it seems to be a great Town. There are several Ponds round about it; but their superstition is so great, that no Passenger dare take any water out of them, but what the Bramin gives him.