94 Bloclimann — Bengal Inscriptions from Mr. Westmacott. [April, 



The President said, that the Society were very much indebted to Dr. 

 Biihler for the very interesting account he had given of his tour, and 

 proposed that a vote of thanks should be given to the learned professor. • 



The proposal was put to the vote and carried unanimously. 



Mr, Bayley was sure the meeting had heard with interest the lucid 

 account given by Doctor Biihler of his journey and his discoveries. It 

 was unfortunate that several of the members of the Society who would 

 have most enjoyed his relation, were absent, Babu Bajendralala Mitra 

 for example. Mr. Bayley wished that the Hon Mr. Justice Phear had 

 heard his account of the work which was the ancient authority for the 

 doctrine of the Mitakshara, the discovery of which could not but arrest 

 the attention of all Indian lawyers. 



For himself Mr. Bayley confessed that his own predilections inclined 

 to History, and Dr. Biihler's new acquisitions in this subject would, he felt 

 sure, prove invaluable. From a recollection of a conversation with General 

 Cunningham as to the MSS. at Bhatnir, Mr, Bayley thought that Dr. Biih- 

 ler's conjectures as to the fate which had befallen them were not improbable. 

 He certainly remembered General Cunningham telling him that one of the 

 MSS. at Bhatnir mentioned " Kanishka," and it was not impossible that this 

 was the identical MS. which Dr. Biihler had secured. The only matter of 

 regret was that Dr. Biihler's labour in so promising a field had been hin- 

 dered by any want of time or money, and it was to be hoped that they 

 would at some future time be resumed under more favourable auspices. Still, 

 as it was, Mr. Bayley was sure that they commanded the interest and 

 respect of those who had heard him to-night, and that Dr. Biihler deserved 

 not only the thanks of this Meeting and of this Society, but of the 

 Government and of the people of India. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. Observations on Indian Fishes. By Sitrgeon-Major F. Day. 

 This paper will be published in Journal Pt. II, No. 1, 1874. 



2. Notes on new Bengal Inscriptions, received from Mr. JS. V. West' 

 macott, C. S. — Bg H. Blochmann, Esq., M. A. 



These inscriptions will be published in Journal, Part I, No. II. Several 

 of them are of great value, especially one Mahmud Shahi of 859 ; two 

 Firuz Shahis, one of them of 694 ; several Husain Shahis of 899, 907, 918, 

 &c., on which the king is called " the conqueror of Kamru and Kamtah ;'* 

 two Nuprat Shahis of of 930 and 938, &c., &c. All these inscriptions, Mr. 

 Blochmann said, had been discovered by Mr. Westmacott in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of Maldah ; and he hoped that Mr. Westmacott would find 

 leisure to examine the whole district, which no doubt contained the most 

 valuable materials for the further elucidation of Bengal history. 



In connexion with these inscriptions, he would read of Mr. Westmacott's 

 letter on the position of Fort Ekdalah, for which historians had hitherto 

 looked in vain. Mr. Westmacott says — 



