in -kas from Urbis. Taraiu-khi is literally the offspring of the mighty.'

9. Abi may be the full word signifying 'victims,' of which we have the ideograph in xix. 14, but it may also represent only the final part of it. Its likeness, however, to abilis 'fire,' makes me believe that the three characters mean 'a sacrifice for fire,' i.e. a burnt-offering.

10. Masa-ni is probably derived from ma 'to be.' For tisni see tisnu in lix. 11. The restoration hali seems hardly doubtful.

12. Müller suggests that iradi-ni-ni corresponds to < (rimu 'a wild bull') in the ideographic expression, and signifies 'wild.' But the suffix rather seems to show that it must be some part of an ox; 'three belonging to the . . . of an ox.'

VOCABULARY.

A.

Abi. lxviii. 9. Perhaps burnt-(offering).' Compare abilis

Bi-di. lxviii. 6, 7. A sacrifice,' connected with bidu-ni.

Ha(li). lxviii. 10. To be sacrificed,' 'a sacrifice.'

I.

Inani. lxviii. 3. 'Of the city.'

Ipdhu-ni. lxviii. 9. 'He has consumed' (?).

Lukhiu-ni-ni. lxvi. 3. The city of Lukhiunis.'
Lulue. lxviii. 2. The country of Lulus.'

Purunurda-di. lxviii. 11. 'Among the class of Purunurda.' Cf. urdi-du, 1. 13.

S.

Sêlui-ni. lxviii. 5. The class of Seluians.' Possibly they were priests appointed to look after the temple at night, the name being derived from selis darkness.'

Sugabara-ni. lxviii. 2. A thank-offering' (?).

Sugabari. lxviii. 6.

T.

Tâse. lxviii. 7. 'Visitors' (?). Perhaps a derivative from

ta' to come.'

Urbika-ni-kai. lxviii. 8. Of the class of the Urbikas.'

ART. II.-Some Suggestions of Origin in Indian Architecture. By WILLIAM SIMPSON, M.R.A.S.

WHEN Mr. Fergusson commenced the study of Indian Architecture, nothing was really known on the subject. He had first to collect the materials, and after years of work he was able at last to leave the Architecture of India in a classified form. This was in itself a great achievement for one man to do. But he did more than this. He traced back the developments of form and construction in many cases to their early beginnings, and thus gave us their origin. It is only when this has been accomplished that we can truly say "we know" any particular style of architecture. We have still some very interesting problems of this kind to work out in regard to India; and suggestions regarding them, even although they should ultimately be found to have pointed in the wrong direction, may yet be useful in many ways; such speculations may call the attention of men in India to the information that is required, and by this means we have the chance of receiving knowledge. I have often discussed some of these questions of origin with Mr. Fergusson, and he used to refer to some of the unexplored parts of India, where he thought some remains of the older forms of Architecture might yet be found, which would throw light on what we wanted. His mode of expressing himself was, "If some man, with the necessary knowledge, and with an eye in his head, could be sent," he felt certain that there are old temples in many parts not yet discovered that would clear up most of the doubtful points.

Besides what may be classed as Architectural remains, Mr. Fergusson attached great importance to the primitive forms of constructing dwellings such as are known to exist VOL. XX.-NEW SERIES.]

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in out-of-the-way parts, and more particularly among the nonAryan races of India. Many of these forms have continued from the earliest times to the present day. I can refer to an instance in my own experience. In this case I found in the Himalayas the main features of the style of construction, and still with wood as the material, which we know was commonly followed two thousand years ago on the plains of India. Things have remained very much unchanged in the Himalayas, and if they were properly explored, that is, with "the necessary knowledge," and with the equally necessary "eye" in the head of the explorer, a good deal might be expected that would help us in our search for some of the starting-points of Indian Architecture.

The first suggestion I propose dealing with is that of a peculiar form of construction which seems to have prevailed over a large portion of India at the time of Asoka. We may assume that it had a long existence before his date-250 B.C.and it may have been in use for some centuries afterwards. By looking over the sculptures of the Sanchi Tope, given in Fergusson's Tree and Serpent Worship, it will be seen that the upper parts of the houses are formed of wood, and that the roofs are not flat, as is the case with most of the houses in India at present, but they are barrel-shaped, they are round externally and internally, producing a gable which is circular in shape. We have every reason to suppose that the Buddhists erected large wooden halls of assembly with roofs of this kind. In the Chaitya Caves it is assumed that we have exact copies of these halls, and in them we can see the interior details most faithfully preserved to us. The roof is formed with ribs covered with planking, and the whole has very much the appearance as if the hull of a ship were inverted. The end externally where the entrance was, is also represented in the caves; and here we have the circular form of the gable which resulted from the shape of the roof. It is this round arch which is referred to in my paper on the Cares of the Jellalabad Valley, and led me to suppose that the

1 See Architecture of the Himalayas, by Wm. Simpson, Transactions of the Roy. Inst. of Brit. Architects, 1882-83.