li)2 Inscrihcfl f^foncf^ Sfc. from Ch'iflagonrj. [Dec* 



four, and tliat it contained some Eurmali gold (wliicli is very pure and much 

 prized down in Oliittagong) or gold coins, wliich the finder has appropriated.' 



' The common people consider that the chest and images are merely a 

 charm, used in ancient times by the Maghs, to keep off evil spirits and 

 Jinus, and to bring pros])erity on the house where it lies.' 



' Several respectable Maghs have seen the chest and images, but do not 

 agree as to their precise meaning.' 



' Cherra Phru Chaudhari, a zamindar in Nhilla, and Momphru the 

 interpreter at Cox's Bazar, say that the figures are all numerical, and 

 represent certain mystical formulae to keep persons and spirits oiF from the 

 box, and thus preserve the treasure which must have been found with it. 

 This treasure either consisted of gold or some white fluid metal (as I under- 

 stood the description) resembling quicksilver. The images according to 

 this theory, were placed there to act as guardians, having their hands and 

 legs tied for security.' 



' Gunai Mizi Thakur, Eaoli of Harbagh, (and also to Kalindi Rani, 

 one of the Hill Tracts chiefs) a highly respectable, well educated man, states 

 as his opinion that the chest is intended to commemorate a victory by a 

 Burmah liajah over a Bengali or rather Musalman one. He offered to 

 decipher the inscriptions and find the date of the event, if an exact copy of 

 the stones covild be sent him.' 



' The box was apparently found near the surface of the ground, by the 

 finder while digging a hole for some posts.' 



' The pieces of stone are marked North, South, East, "West, top and 

 bottom.' 



The following presentations were announced — 



1. From H. Beverley, Esq., C. S., — Knotted ropes used by the San- 

 tuls in taking the census of 1S72. 



The following letter accompanied the donation — 



' I beg to forward for deposit in the Society's Museum, should you 

 think them worthy of a place there, a few specimens of the knotted strings 

 that were used in the late Census Operations in the wilder parts of the 

 Santal Parganas. The strings are of four colours,— black for male adults, 

 red for female adults, white for boys and yellow for girls — each knot re- 

 presenting a unit of the population. The Census of these parts was thus 

 taken by the people themselves through their own headmen, this being 

 the national method of counting among the Santals and being employed 

 on this occasion in consequence of the inability of the headmen to read and 

 write.' 



' Some years hence the strings will doubtless be looked at with curiosi- 

 ty as relics of the barbarism that pervaded parts of ]3engal before being 

 subjected to the softening infkiences of a civilized Government.' 



I 



