278 Facsimiles of Ancient Inscriptions. [April, 



filled the void necessarily left in the researches of Wilcox, Burlton, 

 and Bedford, and have greatly contributed to dispel the doubt and 

 uncertainty, which they had not the opportunity of removing'. 

 While the officers of the Bengal Presidency have been tbus success- 

 fully engaged in geographical inquiries on the north of Ava, the 

 south and western districts have been explored with equal zeal and 

 intelligence by those of the Madras Presidency ; and the spirit of 

 honorable competition, which has already stimulated the researches 

 of Drs. Richardson and Bayfield, and Lieutenant Macleod, with 

 such marked advantage, bids fair, in a comparatively short time, to 

 render the whole empire of Ava better known than the must san- 

 guine could have ventured to anticipate. Did the results of such 

 journies and investigations tend only to an increase of our geogra- 

 phical knowledge, they would even then be most valuable : but to 

 suppose that the consequences of this intercourse between intelligence 

 and ignorance are so limited, is to take a most inadequate view of the 

 subject : the confidence inspired by the visits and conduct of a single 

 individual*, has already opened a communication between Yunan and 

 Mauhnein, and the caravans of China have commenced their annual 

 visits to the British settlements on the coast : the journey of Captain 

 Hannay will in all probability lead to a similar result between 

 Assam and the northern districts of Yunan ; and the time may not be 

 very distant, when British merchants located at Bamo, will, by their 

 superior energy and resources, extend its now restricted trade to sur- 

 rounding countries, and pave the way for ameliorating the- condition 

 and enlightening the ignorance of their numerous inhabitants. 



II. — Facsimiles of Ancient Inscriptions. By Jas. Prinsep, Sec. #c 



[Continued from page 223.] 



The subject selected for this month's illustration is a slab of dark 

 stone, marked No. 6 in the Society's museum. Nothing is there re- 

 corded of its origin; but the character in which it is cut, (as may be 

 seen by the lithographed specimen in PI. XVII.) is the same as that 

 published in February (PI. VII.) from a similar stone of a somewhat 

 smaller size ; and which publication has led, in rather a singular 

 manner, to the discovery of the source whence both were derived. 



Lieut. Kittoe, as I have before mentioned, was lately requested on 

 the part of the Society to re-examine the inscription on the Khandgiri 



* Dr. Richardson of Madras. — R. B. P, 



