I ing arrived at the top of these steps, the first thing w Iii It presents itself to your notice is a portal or propy Ion. standing at about 42 feet east of the steps. This lofty mass, tt high is similar in all respects to the lir, pyla of E pt. forms an entrance to the ruins, and consists of a pyramidal mass of isonry, diminishing upwards on all sides, and crowned by eavettl), or hollow cornice, having a large aperture, which forms a doorway or entranee. The interior firers oft his !dopy_ Ion are s•ulptured into the forms of two colossal bulls, which are elevated on a pedestal five feet above the let el I if the plattla.m. At a considerable height above their backs are three small compartments filled with inscriptions in the ar row-headed characters. Passing forward through this portal still in an easterly direction, we find the ruins of a line of diiinns, at a distance of 21 feet from the portal ; there were originally 4 columns, which were all erect in Chardin's time, but when Sir Robert Ker Porter visited the place, two of them ()illy remained. They are the most perfect examples among the ruins, and were placed equidistant from each other, at it distance of 22 feet apart. Their bases are buried in the ruins; their capitals are singular and beautiful, con sisting, as it were, of three combined in one. The shaft gralimlly narrows towa•ds the top, varied by 39 flutings 'ear the cincture, each of hich is lour inches in breadth ; the total height of the columns is 5I feet. A space of 24 lief separates these columns from a propylon. resem bling the former both in shape and dimensions, except that its length is 18 feet instead of 21. The remains of the first portal are :39 feet high, and of the second 28 feet ; the base of the piers is 5 feet 2 inches high, and projects and the bases upon which the figures stand are I ti tut 2 inches high. The second propylon is sculptured on the inner faces similarly to the first, but the animals represented have the body and legs of a hull, an enormous pair of wings project. trig front the shoulders, an the heads looking to the east, showing the litces of' men. On the head is a c hndf ival diadem, on both sides of which horns are clearly represented winding from the brows upwards, to the front of the crow n ; the being surmounted with a sort of coronet, fo•ified of a range of leaves like the lotus, and bound with a fillet beautifully carved in roses. At the distance of 52 feet south eastwa•d from the second portal is a water trough, cut out of a single some 20 feet long, and 17 feet 5 inches broad, and standing three feet high from the ground. From hence to the northern wall of the platform is covered with frag ments, and the remains of one column not channelled as the others are, which is 12 feet 4 inches high.
The prop) la, in all proliability, lead to some main court or building of which there are no remains, for it would seem unreasonable to suppose that these portals fla-med only an entrance to the Palace of Forty Pillars as it is termed. and which now forms the prineipal mass of remains; this palace is to the smith or are played and west of each other, and east of the stairease. or approach fienn below, so that to person approaching from Ilmt (mailer the Palace of Forty Pillars would be invisible. and it would be necessary to turn to the right immediately after passing undo) the first propylon. Owing to these. difficulties, it has been suggested that the principal ruins are not those of a palace. but of a temple, and that the palace was eastwa•d of them. This Conjecture is soinem hat confirmed by the Initilre of the %%hieh I'rotn its n'Illains wo11111 seem to be (TOW dell With COlUnins for a hall of entertainment ; and further. it is precisely similar in arrangement to the Egyptian temples. if sttu-h he the ease. it must be supposed that the ruins of the buildings of which the rwopyln thrilled the entrance, have been removed from the north-east portion of the platfidni. Be this as it at the distance of 172 feet from the pro py la, in a smithwa•d direction, is the approach to the court, which consist of a staircase. of IAN o 'lights, one west and the other east, giving access to the platform on which the court is erected. )n drawing near the Chehel-minar, or Palace
of I'm ty says Sir Nobert For Porter, "the eye is riveted j,r the grandeur and beautiful decorations of the flight of steps evhich lead up to them. This supeiIi approach con sists of a double staircase, pnejeeting Vinis'derably betide the northern flute of the terrace, the whole length of which is •12 fret; at each n•111 y. exist and nest. rises another range of steps. and again, about the middle, projecting from it IS feet. appear two smaller from same point. Here, the extent of the range, including a landing place of 20 feet, amounts to 80 feet. The ascent. lilt.• that of the great entrance from the plain, is extremely gradual, each flight containing only 32 steps, exceeding 4 inches in height. in breadth 14 inches, and in length 111 reed. The front of the advanced range is covered with sculpture. The eye at first roves over it, lost and bewildered by the mul titude of figures." A nn mgst these sculptures, the figures of the bull and the Him. and represent:16)ns of the flimer of the lotus. repeatedly neon.; some of the figures eNeced the natural size. The wall occupied by these sculpture's extends 1hr a length of 98 feet, and the scuiptioes are arranged in three rows, one above the other ; the faces 1)1 the inner terrace walls were also decorated with bas-relief's. The staircase itself is half-buried and the flights are of unequal height, the western eonsisting of 28 steps and the eastern, where the ground is higher, of only 18.
On arriving at the top of this staircase. another large plat form presents itself, paved with large blocks of stone, and covered with fragments of pillars; it. is of large extent, stretching north and south 350 feet, and from east to west 3sO feet. The distribution of the culanins comprised four divisions, ctinsisting of a ventral phalanx of six deep every was, an advance body of twelve in two ranks, and the same number similarly disposed flanking the central body. At the distance of '2'2 feet from the parapet of the landing. are the most northern or advanced body of 12 in number, but of which, in Sir K. Porter's time, only one remained. At '71 feet southward f'rom these, stood the central phalanx of 36, at intervals of 2• feet 2 inches from each other, of which only 5 now remain : the bases, however, of all the others are in their places, though most of them much mutilated. Tu the east and west of this group are two other group, of 12 each, whereof' 5 still remain in the eastern one, and 4 in the western. The f1irin of the columns which compose the three smaller colonnades at the front and sides of the main is the same in all. The total height of each colunm is 60 feet, of which the shaft. from capital to vise occupies 44; the circumference of the shaft is 16 feet. The base consists of a plinth 8 inches. high, and 24 feet 6 inches in circumference, front which rises the pedestal in the form of the cup and leaves of a pendant or inverted lotus ; above this is a torus one foot deep, and upon this again, a cincture tamnecting the base with the shaft only ;2 ilidles deep. The total height of the base from the cincture to the plinth measures 5 feet 10 inches. The capitals consist of two demi-bulls, comprising the lure part of two bulls with head and fire-legs overhanging the shaft on either side, the bodies in the middle, and sustaining a sort of abacus ; the heads of the animals project very considerably beyond the shaft. and form a kind of bracket to sustain the entablature. The columns of the central group are only 55 feet high, and differ considerably from the others ; the shafts are fluted, and about '33 feet in length, and the capitals which resemble those of the great portal, occupy a large pro. portion of the height, and are adorned with a series of small scrolls, one above another, beneath which, and immediately above the necking, the shaft presents a bulging appearance, widening rapidly at the lower part, and gathering in gradu ally towards the scrolls, then spreading out again in the shape of a cal} x or cup to receive the scrolls.