170 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [April, 1913. 
XVth century are in Gothic, not in Roman characters. Even 
should an exception to this rule have been made, there would 
remain the astonishing fact that a Portuguese inscription of 
Mailapur would antedate by 38 years the arrival of Vasco da 
Gama off Calicut (May 20, 1498). In the light of history, this 
would not be entirely repugnant. We have on record the visit 
to Mailapur of Marco Polo (1293); of Giovannida Montecorvino 
(1292-93), one of whose companions, Niccolo da Pistoia, a 
Dominican, died there; of Giovanni de Marignolli (1349). and 
Niccolo de’ Conti (1425-30). In fact ,intercourse between Europe 
and India was not so rare in the XIIIth and XIVth centuries 
as is commonly supposed, and we must not imagine that the 
Venetians and the Genoese were the only Europeans who traded 
with India or visited it in the XVth century.'! Anyhow, a 
Portuguese inscription at Mailapur at such a date is in itself 
highly improbable. What might mean, besides, the two first 
letters in the second line? Dfe] G[raca]=of grace, would be 
epigraphically unusual, and so would D{e] C{bristo}. More- 
over, the second letter (2nd line) cannot be a C, since we have 
a C of the usual type in CEV (lst line). 
Hence, if any simpler explanation can be devised, it 
ought to be preferred. 
Could the second line mean D [e] [1] 6 & 63? This 
would not be unusual in Portuguese epigraphy; but the central 
l 
friend in Europe. The second line must be d [ ] 
646°, leaving out the figure 3. The date was originally [1] 643, 
but was corrected later. As the 3 is fainter than the 
other figures, there must have been an attempt at obliterating 
it, and the second 6 seems from its cramped appearance to 
have been squeezed in between 4 and 3. The full stop after 
this interpolated 6 is significant. It would seem then that the 
inscription was made considerably later than the date of burial, 
since the date first recorded was three years too early 
is explanation, it is hoped, will be found satisfactory. 
It places the inscription in modern times, while the political 
1 About 1893 two tombs of Franciscan Missionaries of the XIVth 
: y- Ct. Compte-rendu des séances de la Soc. de Géogr- 
e Parts. Janv. et Fevr. 1893. Art. of M. Romanet du Caillaud. 
