1890-91.] SIBERIAN INSCRIPTIONS. 269 



first sight, to make it doubtful that the inscription has been truly copied. 

 The former version differs little from those published by Castren and 

 Spassky, while the latter is the work of M. Adrianoff, a much more 

 recent and more scientific examiner. M. Adrianoff seems to have con- 

 tented himself with the presentation of faithful and minutely exact copies 

 of his originals as he found them. I am not aware that he has indulged 

 in hypotheses regarding the inscriptions, nor have I, so far, any evidence 

 that he has entered on the somewhat dangerous path of the conjectural 

 emendator and filler up of lacunae. The inference that Castren and 

 Spassky erred in this respect is easier to draw than to substantiate ; their 

 mistake seems rather to have been a confusing of the contents of lines of 

 writing so irregularly arranged as to make it difficult to avoid running 

 the one into the other. Of this the reader can judge by the plate, setting 

 forth the two diverse copies and by the subjoined transliteration and 

 translation. 



No. XVIII in Inscriptions de I'lenissei, as copied by M. Adrianoff: 



Line i. ta to bi Buda a no ta ko go i no Buda ji be i mi to sa go ta : ma 



ru ta ku ma do tsu be 

 Line 2. shi ta sa go ta no ka mi to ba i : fu de shi ta i ku da ki beri a to 



ta DZU 

 Line 3. Buda a no ta hi ro me ku : ta da sha : mi to sa go ta yo bi da ta 



hi me ku o ma ka dzu 

 Line 4. ta 3 go hi yo shi go ne ri to shi ga gashita ji go mi ha 



dzu ya ku Buda 

 Line 5. de shi ta sa go ta ri mo koko no te : mo 3 fu ta to Buda 



shi go 

 Line 6. mi te ma to ku baba do ri dzu me 



The same as given in Inscriptions de I'lenissei : 



Line i. mi mi a tsu no : ka : no Buda shi? : mi to sa go ta : ma ru ta ku 



ma do tsu ka 

 Line 2. mi to sa go ta : nomikobai: fudeshita: kudaki ri a to ta DZU 

 Line 3. mi to sa go ta ; ro dzu ki : shi chi da sha : mi to sa go ta : na ma 



ko yo : me shi ka : ma ku dzu 

 Line 4. shi chi ku dzu : a tsu ba ku dzu 

 Line 5. ka ya to ta : ka te 3 ku ka ta Buda,: ka ri ta ka : ka shi to be 



fu ta ta Buda shi go 

 Line 6. mi : yo dzu ta sa go ta ri mo mi no te : mo 3 u ta 

 Line 7. ki mi te be mi ka : ri dzu me 



Literal translation of No. XVIII according to M. Youferoff's (M. Adria 

 noff's) version: 



invert 



