Chapter ELEPHANTA of E by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

unarmed vessels to look out. … There is on this island a pagoda called that of the Elephant, a work of extraordinary magnitude, being cut out of the solid rock,” &c.—Bocarro, MS.

1673.—“… We steered by the south side of the Bay, purposely to touch at Elephanto, so called from a monstrous Elephant cut out of the main Rock, bearing a young one on its Back; not far from it the Effigies of a Horse stuck up to the Belly in the Earth in the Valley; from thence we clambered up the highest Mountain on the Island, on whose summit was a miraculous Piece hewed out of solid Stone: It is supported with 42 Corinthian Pillars,” &c.—Fryer, 75.

1690.—“At 3 Leagues distance from Bombay is a small Island called Elephanta, from the Statue of an Elephant cut in Stone. … Here likewise are the just dimensions of a Horse Carved in Stone, so lively … that many have rather Fancyed it, at a distance, a living Animal. … But that which adds the most Remarkable Character to this Island, is the fam’d Pagode at the top of it; so much spoke of by the Portuguese, and at present admir’d by the present Queen Dowager, that she cannot think any one has seen this part of India, who comes not Freighted home with some Account of it.”—Ovington, 158-9.

1712.—“The island of Elephanta … takes its name from an elephant in stone, with another on its back, which stands on a small hill, and serves as a sea mark. … As they advanced towards the pagoda through a smooth narrow pass cut in the rock, they observed another hewn figure which was called Alexander’s horse.”—From an account written by Captain Pyke, on board the Stringer East Indiaman, and illd. by drawings. Read by A. Dalrymple to the Soc. of Antiquaries, 10th Feb. 1780, and pubd. in Archaeologia, vii. 323 seqq. One of the plates (xxi.) shows the elephant having on its back distinctly a small elephant, whose proboscis comes down into contact with the head of the large one.

1727.—“A league from thence is another larger, called Elephanto, belonging to the Portugueze, and serves only to feed some Cattle. I believe it took its name from an Elephant carved out of a great black Stone, about Seven Foot in Height.”—A. Hamilton, i. 240; [ed. 1744, i. 241].

1760.—“Le lendemain, 7 Decembre, des que le jour parut, je me transportai au bas de la seconde montagne, en face de Bombaye, dans un coin de l’Isle, où est l’Elephant qui a fait donner à Galipouri le nom d’Elephante. L’animal est de grandeur naturelle, d’une pierre noire, et detachée du sol, et paroit porter son petit sur son dos.” —Anquetil du Perron, I. ccccxxiii.

1761.—“… The work I mention is an artificial cave cut out of a solid Rock, and decorated with a number of pillars, and gigantic statues, some of which discover y^e work of a skilful artist; and I am inform’d by an acquaintance who is well read in y^e antient history, and has minutely considered y^e figures, that it appears to be y^e work of King Sesostris after his Indian Expedition.” —MS. Letter of James Rennell.

1764.—“Plusieurs Voyageurs font bien mention du vieux temple Payen sur la petite Isle Elephanta près de Bombay, mais ils n’en parlent qu’en passant. Je le trouvois si curieux et si digne de l’attention des Amateurs d’Antiquités, que j’y fis trois fois le Voyage, et que j’y dessinois tout ce que s’y trouve de plus remarquable. …”— Carsten Niebuhr, Voyaye, ii. 25.

„ “Pas loin du Rivage de la Mer, et en pleine Campagne, on voit encore un Elephant d’une pierre dure et noiratre … La Statue … porte quelque chose sur le dos, mais que le tems a rendu entièrement meconnoissable. … Quant au Cheval dont Ovington et Hamilton font mention je ne l’ai pas vu.”—Ibid. 33.

1780.—“That which has principally attracted the attention of travellers is the small island of Elephanta, situated in the east side of the harbour of Bombay. … Near the south end is the figure of an elephant rudely cut in stone, from which the island has its name. … On the back are the remains of something that is said to have formerly represented a young elephant, though no traces of such a resemblance are now to be found.”—Account, &c. By Mr. William Hunter, Surgeon in the E. Indies, Archaeologia, vii. 286.

1783.—In vol. viii. of the Archaeologia, p. 251, is another account in a letter from Hector Macneil, Esq. He mentions “the elephant cut out of stone,” but not the small elephant, nor the horse.

1795.—“Some Account of the Caves in the Island of Elephanta. By J. Goldingham, Esq.” (No date of paper). In As. Researches, iv. 409 seqq.

1813.—Account of the Cave Temple of Elephanta … by Wm. Erskine, Trans. Bombay Lit. Soc. i. 198 seqq. Mr. Erskine says in regard to the figure on the back of the large elephant: “The remains of its

paws, and also the junction of its belly with the larger animal, were perfectly distinct; and the appearance it offered is represented on the annexed drawing made by Captain Hall (Pl. II.),¹ who from its appearance conjectured that it must have been a tiger rather than an elephant; an idea in which I feel disposed to agree.”—Ibid. 208.

b. s. A name given, originally by the Portuguese, to violent storms occurring at the termination, though some travellers describe it as at the setting-in, of the Monsoon. [The Portuguese, however, took the name