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si AM. 279
outer courts of the temple, they are disposed in still
greater number.* The expense in gilding alpne
(for every image is gilt) must be great.
" The arrangement observed in the Waat-thaycham-ponn,
may be given as an instance of what occurs
in the rest. This consists of a number of temples,
pra-cha-dis, and buildings allotted for the accommodation
of priests, enclosed in an ample square, rather
more than a quarter of a mile on each side. The
principal temples are further surrounded by a piazza,
open only towards the temple, and about twelve or
fifteen feet in breadth, and well paved. Against the
back wall, a stout platform of masonry extends round
the temple, on which are placed gilded figures of
Buddha, for the most part considerably larger than
the human size, and so close to each other as to leave
no vacant place on the platform. Of these statues,
the greater number are made of cast iron; others are
made of brass, others of wood or of clay, and all with
careful uniformity. Several hundreds of such images
are thus seen at one glance of the eye. In other and
less spacious passages, minor figures, chiefly of clay or
wood, are heaped together in endless numbers. They
would appear to accumulate so fast, that it seems
probable, the priests are at times reduced to the neces-
sity of demolishing hosts of them. The apartments
allotted for the accommodation of the priests are clean,
neat, substantial, and comfortable, without ornament
or superfluity. The pra-cha-di of this temple is the
handsomest of the kind in Bankok, and is deserving
of notice on account of its architectural beauty.
"The pra-cha-di, f called, by the Buddhists of
* See page 255.
t Mr. Finlayson interprets this word, "the roof of the pra or
lord." Sir Thomas Raffles suggests, that both in their character
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