1862.] On some Baetro-Buddhist Belies from Bdwal Bindi. 1S3 



here. I feel that ray reading does some violence to two or three letters 

 by assuming misscripts and mislections, but as it abides strictly by a 

 language and a grammar, I trust it will be deemed preferable to any 

 attempt at decypherment on my part which for the sake of a fancied 

 fidelity to a few letters — and those of forms so dubious that they may 

 be mistaken for several others and engraved at a time when the art 

 of engraving was in its most primitive state, — would cast overboard 

 all considerations of the laws of language. 



The plate annexed to this paper, has impressions of six ancient 

 gems now in the possession of Mr. E. C. Bayley, and of a Cufic seal 

 in the cabinet of the Society. The gems were subjected to the exami- 

 nation of the learned scholar Dr. Martin Haug of Poonah, whose 

 readings of the legends of five of them are here annexed. 



" Fig. 1 represents the head of a Roman, the inscription in Sassa- 

 " nian Pehlevi can be read only as Calmilos. He was very likely in 

 "the service of one of the Sassanian kings, for we find in the British 

 " Museum a Daric, with the Greek inscription Pythagoras. 



" Fig. 2 Sassanian Pehlevi Shahipuhri Mazd (ayasn) i. e. Shahpoor 

 " the Zoroastrian. 



" Fig. 3 represented a cypress ; the inscription is in Hebrew cha- 

 " racter, the language late Hebrew approaching Chaldaic, AbHabbaroth 

 11 Hab baruth, the name means owner of a Cypress 2N a b means father, 

 " owner, and D12, Baroth is the Chaldaic form for Barosh cypress : H 

 " ha before Baroth is the Hebrew article, not admissible in Chaldaic. 

 " As to the name, compare the name of the celebrated Babylonian 

 " historian Berosus. 



" Fig. 4 contains very likely inscriptions in two languages, or, bet- 

 " ter, is the two dialects of Sassanian Pehlevi known from inscriptions. 

 " The upper inscription is in a kind of Hebrew character (used by the 

 " Sassanians) and contains evidently the name Damask. The inscrip- 

 " tion below bears some resemblance to old Armenian characters, but 

 " I cannot yet read them with certainty. 



" Fig. 5 Sassanian Pehlevi inscription Baba i. e. Ktesiphon (occur- 

 "ing often in coins)." 



Fig. 6 has not yet been read. 



The Cufic seal (Fig. 7) was purchased from one Chanda Mull of 

 Peshawar, a coin-dealer. Its substance is jet well polished, and the 

 letters most beautifully engraved. The legend records the name of 

 Isamel, son of Hamad. 2 b 



