, spires, and walls surrounded by a high
central dome, the impression taken altogether becomes almost
overpowering. It is a structure difficult to describe, but a few
outlines with the aid of the illustrations may give you some idea at
least of its size and impressiveness.

First, it is not a building in the ordinary sense and has no entrance.
It is the top of a hill, artificially lowered and encircled with
galleries built by human hands. The lowest terrace, which is shown in
the picture, forms the upper portion of a terrace wall, which is still
submerged below the soil. This terrace has thirty-six sides, measuring
three hundred and seventy-four feet in diameter. Below is a larger
terrace, square in shape, estimated at five hundred feet; it is
underground, while above it is another of the same shape as the middle
terrace, from which it is reached by stairways on each of the four
sides. Some years ago it was discovered that three terraces were of a
later date than the original internal structure, which is more slender
in shape, and that they were constructed in order to support the latter
when it began to show signs of settling. The base of the lower terrace
has been exposed in places in order to obtain photographs of the
beautiful bas-reliefs, but it was subsequently covered, inasmuch as it
would have been a grave mistake to run the risk of leaving it
permanently exposed.

The building above the three terraces consists of four parapeted
galleries, erected upon the internal walls of the lower gallery, and of
four upper terraces, the three highest of which are circular. The
topmost terrace is crowned by a large cupola, or dagoba. The Boro
Boedor, from its base to the top of the cupola, has a height of
ninety-seven feet, while the elevation of the hill to the lower step is
about fifty-five feet, making a total of one hundred and fifty-two feet.
Each of the lower galleries is about seven feet wide, the walls on
either side being lined with sculptures which, if they could be extended
in a line, would cover three miles. We walked around the galleries and
ascended the steps.

In the lower gallery there is, beneath every Buddha, a representation of
a man, on either side of which are groups of three figures, each bearing
lotus flowers and fans.

The inner circle of the second gallery contains, in the upper row,
bas-reliefs representing scenes connected with the history of Prince
Siddhartha (Gautama) from his infancy to the