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ixii
of the cremation ground, wandering tribes, hunters and meat-sellers.
Roads :- The next chapter deals with roads. The text abruptly starts with roads leading to forts and their dimensions. The general rule regarding roads is not stated here. The commentator however states that roads shall generally be 10 dandas in width. The distinction between the streets situated within a village or city and roads leading to the city is to be borne in mind. Streets are generally much narrower except the central thoroughfare or the King's Highway. Roads leading to forts may be narrower than the generality of them. A minimum width of 5 dandas is however prescribed for it. In hill-forts the roads may be still narrower according to the exigencies of the situation. Resting places on the way are prescribed. For roads leading to hill forts and in places where the sides of the roads hare a steep descent, purapet walls for protection of persons and rehicles are also prescribed. Roads over hills except when intended for vehicles must be without steps. But the surface has to be hardened with pieces of brick, granite and mortar. In other cases steps have to be constructed. Roads shall generally be of twice or thrice the width of streets. Streams shall be huilt over with bridges which are classified into smaller and bigger bridges. Big rivers and flooding waterways shall, as far as possible, be avoided at a distance. Water collecting in the rainy season shall be led into large rivers or the sea, if necessary by artificial chan. nels. Roads shall generally be higher in the middle and lower in the sides and shall generally have a hard surface with pavement if possible of granite at the sides provided with holes for draining off water. On either side of the road shall be grown trees like bakula (மகிழமரம்). Tinisa (தினிச ) Aswattha (அரசு), Vata (ஆல்) and Kakubha (மருதமரம் ) and other shade-giving trees. In their shade shall be con: structed at frequent intervals raised platforms or load.rests of a man's height for relief of those that carry loads. They