1883.] ExJiihition of Coins hy Br. Hoernle. 59 



end to raise them to the large size frequently observed. This hypothesis, 

 however, awaited verification. 



In reply to a question, Mr. Blanford said that the structure he had 

 described might be considered as generally characteristic of large hailstones, 

 but he had also sometimes observed irregular lumps of ice, some of which 

 were easy to identify as fractured hailstones, since they included portions 

 of a fractured nucleus. 



Dr. Eajendealala Mitea gave a reading of a Sanskrit inscription on 

 a stone slab found by Mr. F. C. Black among the ruins of the old fort of 

 Deogarh in the south of the Lalitpur district, N.-W. Provinces, and presented 

 by him to the Society. This slab was found in a jungle which had overgrown 

 the ruins of the ancient fort of Deogarh and, when discovered, was standing 

 loosely, propped up against two small columns in the eastern portion of the 

 fort. The slab measures 6'-2" X 2'Q" with an average thickness of 4". The 

 inscription covers the face of the slab and extends to 34 lines : and the 

 characters are of the old Deva Nagari type, each about an inch long. The 

 date of the inscription corresponds to A. D. 1424, and the subject of it is 

 the dedication of 2 images by a Jain priest of the name of Holi. As all 

 the persons named in the record were either Jain ascetics or private house- 

 holders, it is of no historical value. 



The inscription and translation, and Dr. Mitra's note thereon, will be 

 published in full in the Journal, Part I, 1883. 



Dr. A. F. R. HoEENLE announced that Mr. Ch J. Rodgers had sent for 

 exhibition 8 of the " nisar" coins referred to in his paper in the January 

 Proceedings. As they are very rare and curious, drawings of them 

 would be published in the Proceedings (vide Plate V). 



Dr. A. F. R. HoEENLE exhibited some rupees of Shamsuddin Ilyas 

 Shah and Sikandar Shah bin Ilyas, of Bengal, received from Mr. R. H. 

 Wilson of Midnapore, and made the following remarks : — 



The coins sent by Mr. Wilson are rupees of two of the independent 

 Muhammadan rulers of Bengal: ^;^2;., 15 are rupees of Shamsuddin Ilyas 

 Shah, who reigned probably from 740 to 759 A. H. (= 1389-1357 A.' D.), 

 and 2 belong to his son Abiil Mujahid Sikandar Shah, whose reign pro- 

 bably extended to 792 A. H. (= 1389 A. D.) : (see Blochmann's Geography 

 and History of Bengal, in J. A. S. B., Vol. XLII, Part I, p. 308). Those 

 of Shamsuddin are probably all from the Firuzabad Mint, though the 

 name is only legible on four of them ; the date of one of them, on which 

 alone it is legible, is 745 A. H. This type of coin has been already de- 

 scribed by E. Thomas, in the J. A. S. B., Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p. 57, (see 

 No. 15). The two rupees of Sikandar Shah are from the Muazamabad 

 Mint, and dated 763 ( c^^.J^-'j *^^J ) and 762 respectively. This type also 



