The walls and ceiling are covered with silk
tapestry, which, however, has nothing but its antiquity to recommend
it. It is true that it was interwoven with gold thread, but it
appeared never to have been especially costly, and I cannot believe
that it ever produced that dazzling effect which some travellers
have described. Half of the chamber was engrossed by a large table,
or kind of altar, inlaid with plates of silver, and ornamented round
the edges with precious stones. On it stands a bell-shaped case,
measuring at the bottom at least three feet in diameter, and the
same in height. It is made of silver thickly gilt, and decorated
with a number of costly jewels; there is a peacock in the middle
entirely formed of precious stones; but all these treasures fail to
produce any very great effect, from the clumsy and inartistic
fashion in which they are set.
Under the large case there are six smaller ones, said to be of pure
gold; under the last is the tooth of the all-powerful divinity. The
outer case is secured by means of three locks, two of the keys
belonging to which used to be kept by the English governor, while
the third remained in the custody of the chief priest of the temple.
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