, and with pillars, roofs and galleries cut from the solid rock.

One of the most celebrated of these rock buildings is on a small island
a few miles from Bombay, called by the natives, Garapur, though in the
sixteenth century the Portuguese gave it the name of Elephanta, from a
huge black stone elephant which they saw on landing. The great temple is
reached by a paved causeway from a beach below, and is chiefly
underground, though both centre and wings have handsome outside
frontages. The chief hall is one hundred and thirty feet long (or about
as large as a fair-sized English church), and formerly had many columns,
though most of these have fallen. The roof of the cave in the east wing
projects seven feet beyond the line of pillars, and is about fifty feet
long. On square pedestals guarding the entrance sit stone animals,
either leopards or tigers, and inside are statues, whilst over the head
of an image of Buddha are flying cherubs.

The view from outside, over the Bay of Bombay, is very beautiful, and
the temple is still held sacred by the Hindus, who celebrate there the
festival of Shivaratri. An important religious fair is also held before
the first new moon after the middle of February in each year.

HELENA HEATH.

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

True Tales of the Year 1805.

III.--THE SIMPLON ROAD.

[Illustration: The Simplon Pass.]

In the year 1805 Napoleon accomplished a work which for many years had
occupied his thoughts, namely, a good carriage road from Switzerland to
Italy, over the Simplon Pass, thus associating his name with that of the
great Carthaginian general, Hannibal, who had crossed that Pass with his
troops many hundred years before.

This road of Napoleon's--still perhaps the best-graded mountain road in
Europe--was a marvel of engineering, and was considered perfect in all
respects. Every stone which marked the miles (or rather kilometres)
along the route was stamped with the imperial eagle, and each bridge
over the rushing torrents bore the words 'Napoleon fecit' ('Napoleon
made this'), so that succeeding generations should honour his name.

How little could Napoleon have imagined that, just one hundred years
later, human moles, boring an underground passage through the mountain,
would render his grand road all but useless, and that the opening of the
Simplon Tunnel would cause his road to be neglected and forsaken.

* * * * *

Some conversation on t