1881.] Dr. Hoernle — 'Exhibition of relics from Buddha Gaya. 89 



ceived from the Lieutenant-Governor, shortly before the meeting ; and Dr. 

 Hoernle explained that he was not in a position to give more information 

 about them than what he had been able to gather in a short conversation 

 with Mr. Wickes from whom he had received the relics. They were said 

 to have been found in the Great Temple at a spot where according to local 

 tradition the throne of Asoka once stood, after digging to a depth of 

 about 20 feet. They consisted of fragments of various kind of gems, 

 corals, gold and silver foil, small pearls, &c. A very large number of them 

 were perforated, showing apparently that they were originally strung on 

 threads. Dr. Hoernle added, that it appeared to him that the theory of 

 their connexion with Asoka's throne required a great deal of confirmation ; 

 and that it would be well to wait for General Cunningham's report, to whom, 

 he understood, the relics had been already submitted, before accepting the 

 local tradition. 



Mr. Ball, who had examined the relics, concurred with Dr. Hoernle as 

 to the doubtfulness of their connection with any throne of Asoka. The 

 result of his examination, as communicated in a letter after the meeting, is 

 as follows : 



" The collection includes sapphires, (whole and broken), rubies, emeralds 

 (broken), pearls, coral, cornelian, garnet, quartz crystals, lapis lazuli, &c. 

 There are also some heart-shaped pieces of emerald-like glass which have 

 become crusted over from lying in the soil. 



" There are at least two specimens, one large, of a rare mineral called 

 Iolite or Dichroite. These have been identified by Mr. Mallet to whom I 

 shewed them. They at first sight look like sapphires. 



" The larger one would be a valued specimen in our mineralogical 

 collection if it could be obtained. 



" The smashing of the sapphires into small pieces is remarkable. There 

 are a few, however, which are intact." 



Mr. Westland exhibited four old maps of Calcutta and Bengal which 

 he explained had been lithographed for issue with Mr. Sandeman's continua- 

 tion of Mr. Seton-Karr's extracts from old Calcutta Gazettes. Mr. Sande- 

 man had left them behind him, in his, now Mr. Westland's, office, and Mr. 

 Westland thought he would best dispose of them if he offered ihem to such 

 members of the Society as had any interest in the subject. 



The first was a map of the Sunderbuns in 1724, apparently a rough 

 sketch by some Dutch skipper. It had been occasionally referred to as evi- 

 dence of the extension of cultivation in these regions ; but some difficulties 

 had been found in identifying some of the settlements named in it. One of 

 them called " Cuipitavai" he identified as " Khalifatabad" the pergunna in 

 which Bagahat was situate, near which there were some ancient and large 

 buildings, indicating an early cultivating settlement. " Noldy" farther east 



