This is a dome-like structure of solid brick and stone, one hundred and six feet in diameter at the base, and forty-two feet high from the base; the base is fourteen feet high, giving a total height of fifty-six feet. The base is a terrace, extending all around the Tope. On this the worshipers walked. A colonnade extended all around the Tope. There is an extrance to the Tope at each of the four cardinal points. These four gate-ways are very picturesque objects. They are covered with sculptures representing various domestic scenes and religious ceremonies. Each gate-way is formed of two square pillars, two feet three inches thick and thirteen feet eight inches high. The capitals of these pillars vary. Those of the western gate contain four human dwarfs; of the southern gate, four lions; and of the other gate-ways four elephants. The height of these capitals is four feet six inches. The carvings on these gate-ways represent sieges, triumphal processions, worshiping Topes, or the sacred Bo-tree, processions escorting relic-caskets, and certain domestic scenes. These carvings are not surpassed, in the beauty of their design and execution, by those of any other temples in the world. [Illustration: THE FAMOUS SANCHI TOPE. BUILT TO CONTAIN A RELIC OF GAUTAMA THE BUDDHA.] [Illustration: CAPITAL OF A PILLAR OF GATEWAY OF SANCHI TOPE.] Exactly in the centre of the second Sanchi Tope, there was a small chamber. This was opened by Major Alexander Cunningham, an Englishman, in 1851. He found in this chamber a relic-box, of white sandstone, nearly one foot square. On it was inscribed: “Teacher of all branches of Vinaya, the Arhat[6] Kasyapa, Gotra, Upadiya;[7] and the Arhat[6] Vachhi Suvijayata, teacher of Vinaya.” Inside the stone box were found four small caskets of mottled steatite. Each one of these contained small pieces of burnt bone, and on each casket was written the name of the holy man whose ashes were enshrined therein. As these holy men, whose names are given, are known to have lived in Asoka’s time, it is almost certain that these Topes, containing their relics, were built not long after their death, or not later than, say, 220 B.C. There are other Topes at Sonari and Sadthara, at Bhojpur and Andher. These were all used as relic structures, like the pagodas of Burmah. CEYLONESE BUDDHISM. King Asoka was not content with spreading Buddhism in his own territory. He built hospitals for man and beast, dug wells and planted trees by the roadsides, and performed many other good works in other lands. These lands are described in the old Buddhist chronicles of Ceylon as being Southern India and Ceylon, and “to the land of the Greek king, Antiochus.” He is said to have sent embassies to four Greek kings, and to have “won from them a victory, not by the sword, but by religion.” [Illustration: SCULPTURED GATEWAY TO THE TOPE OF SANCHI, INDIA.]