text probably copied by a drunk official

[JanSeifert]

Perhaps the text refers to the Jyotirlinga temples?

The Jyotirlinga temples in India, are dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is believed that at these temples Lord Shiva appeared as a column of fire or the lingam of light. Dwadasa Jyotirlinga Stotra says there are 12 such Jyotirlingams in India, and that every devotee of Shiva must visit these temples. But what piques my curiosity is the progressive spiral shape around which these temples are situated.

No, its most certainly a description of buddhist stupas. The area is along the Ningthee (=Chindwin).
 

[JanSeifert]

deped could be a misreading/miscopying of dressed, with a long + short s, which the copyist misread as a p, and then also omitted the r.

That is an interesting reading of the word. I will keep it as an alternative in the notes.
Thank you.

[SMJ]

Could the word be 'draped'

[hepburn]

Thinking that too

[JanSeifert]

Thanks again for all the help! Then again: »deped« was not really my problem. The meaning of whatever word this is is clear. My main issue was »passed«.

Jan

[JanSeifert]

Another challenge for me, I am afraid:
my transliteration goes-
»
present shape and from (form) had been given before the petrification had taken place
and it is difficult to conceive how much (such) a number so much resembling each
other should have been obtained by chance from the River, and yet this must
have been the case, for we know of no Process exept that effected through
the Agency of water by which this conversion of wood into stone scites 
bear the first impression left upon the mind in viewing the etope (stone?) certainly
is that the change has occured Since the blocks were fixed in their present
position, but it is impossible to believe it.- the view of the surrounding Country
«

Can anyone make sense out this block of text? There is ommitted punctuation for sure here.
Thanks!

[JanSeifert]

and one more  (the scribe had a bad day it seems).

»
than four miles distant, but I was unable to visit them. the whole area
indeed looks very much like the bed of an ancient crater, when1 sum-
mit had been Completely removed, the only open side of which is
that next to the River, and resembles in some degree Doctor Danbery’s (Danbury’s?) des-
cription of the basins in Amergue, sand however almost amounting to a
Coarse grit thickly interspused (interspersed) with quartose (quartzose) pelibbs (pebbles) ?? the ex-
tra soil and I saw Nothing in the Course of my short walk denoting
volcanic Agency. Just before I set out the Tazee of Shombegnew arrived in
«

I think the missing word is in the vicinity of »constitutes« or »comprises« but I am not very sure.

[MollyC]

"scites" possibly abbreviating stalactites

[arthurk]

From the first one:

Another challenge for me, I am afraid:
my transliteration goes-
»
present shape and from (form) had been given before the petrification had taken place
and it is difficult to conceive how much (such) a number so much resembling each
other should have been obtained by chance from the River, and yet this must
have been the case, for we know of no Process exept that effected through
the Agency of water by which this conversion of wood into stone scites 
bear the first impression left upon the mind in viewing the etope (stone?) certainly
is that the change has occured Since the blocks were fixed in their present
position, but it is impossible to believe it.- the view of the surrounding Country

In the difficult section, "this conversion of wood into stone" and "the first impression left upon the mind" are both the subjects of their clauses, and they make so little sense as written that I almost wonder if a line has been missed out in the copying. But alternatively:

"scites" - I've no idea. My first thought was that it's a noun attached to 'stone', but I can make a bit more sense of what follows if it's a verb meaning 'occur' or 'take place' - but I still don't know what. (I note Molly's suggestion - but if it is that, the clause needs a verb, hence missing line?)

"bear" - I can make better sense of what follows if it's "hear", but as a misspelling of "here".

"etope" - I think it ends with 's' rather than 'e', and I wonder if the whole word could be 'stops'. How would that fit the context? What exactly is it that's in the water getting turned to stone?

In the second one:

... Coarse grit thickly interspused (interspersed) with quartose (quartzose) pelibbs (pebbles) ?? the ex-
tra soil and I saw Nothing in the Course of my short walk denoting
volcanic Agency. Just before I set out the Tazee of Shombegnew arrived in
«

I think the missing word is in the vicinity of »constitutes« or »comprises« but I am not very sure.

You could well be right with 'pebbles' - confusion of 'b' and 'le' and vice versa.

The missing word looks like 'commotions', which can't really be correct. A verb is needed, and I agree with you on the kind of meaning it should have, but can't think of anything better.