234 Asiatic Society. [April, 



"In three or four days after I wrote you, 1 left Peshawar for Sultan Maho- 

 mad Khan's Camp at Sheikan, and thence proceeded to Jalalabad by the route 

 of Abkanu. On arrival there, I recommenced operations on the topes remaining 

 in that vicinity, and these labors have fully occupied me until this time, and 

 continue to do so. 



" I rejoice to say that very fair success has attended my operations ; of seven 

 unpromising topes, as to appearance, opened near Chaharbagh of Jalalabad, four 

 yielded results satisfactory, one of which will be interesting from the coins therein 

 discovered. Of fourteen topes and tumuli opened at Hiddah, the greater por- 

 tion have alike yielded the wished-for results in relics and medals ; one 

 produced a very splended collection of relics and a great number of coins, 

 the major part silver Sassanian, but also seven gold ones, of which singu- 

 lar to relate, are five of Roman Emperors, two of Theodosius, two of Leo, 

 and one of Marcianus. These coins are themselves curious, and the discovery 

 of them in such a place is not less so, and they may be of great use in assisting 

 to ascertain the epoch when the monument containing them may have been built. 



" I note the legends of the coins*, 1 have discovered for your information, and 

 when I receive your reply to this letter, shall forward to Mr. Prinsep, for pub- 

 lication in his Journal, an account of this interesting tope, and of the relics and 

 coins extracted. 



" I continue to hear of or to fall upon others of these monuments in a variety of 

 situations, and as their importance is obvious, shall not relax in the pursuit of 

 their identification : they will fully occupy me until the winter, therefore I must 

 defer a visit to the countries north of the Hindu Kush until the next season. 



" The ZOth September, 1834. Nearly a month since I arrived in Cabul and took 

 in hand a tope which had been opened and abandoned by M. Honigberger, at a 

 spot called Gool Durah : from this were extracted eight fine gold coins with 

 etcetera, seven of them of the king Kadphices : the eightli of a prince of the same 

 family. I am now in the Kohistan for the purpose of operating on two topes in 

 critical spots, availing myself of the presence of Mahmad Akbar, Dost Mahomed 

 Khan's son. My collection of coins this year will far exceed that of the last, and 

 I have found several new ones. Last night I procured a copper Menander of 

 very large size, and at Cabul T gained a silver one more large and beautiful than 

 any that I have seen or heard of. When the year's labors close 1 shall draw up 

 the result, and I hope to be able to identify another Greek monarchy distinct 

 from those of Bactria and Nysa." 



In a letter to Colonel Pottinger,M. Masson gives further particulars of the 

 Hiddah Tope. " The relics found there comprise a handsome gold box with cover 

 set with gems, and at the top a fine blue stone ; this was originally filled with a 

 liquid perfume, in which musk predominated. This box was enclosed in a larger 

 silver one : with this was also a smaller silver one, containing four Sassanian 

 coins, one or two gems, and an unctuous substance. The whole was contained 

 in a box of iron, gilt, and this again was enclosed in a large copper vessel hand- 

 somely washed with gold, which was half filled with a liquid mixed with earth 

 and impregnated with the oxyd of copper. In this copper vessel were 180 sil- 

 ver Sassanian coins, and two golden, probably Hindu, with three copper ones of 

 Koveen (?) types. In the iron gilt box were three golden Roman coins, and in 

 the golden box within it, two others of Theodosius ; the former were one of Mar- 

 cianus and two of Leo. In the copper vessel moreover were two gold rings, 

 on one of them the gem engraved with the head of a sovereign, and among the 

 detached gems is another one engraved. Besides the gold ones there is a mul- 

 titude of plain silver ones, and a variety of fragments of ornaments : upon the 

 whole this has been the richest prize yet produced from any of the topes open- 

 ed." 



[M. Masson's correspondence with Col. Pottinger, with a sight of which 

 we have been favored, contains lists of all the relics hitherto collected by him, 

 and held at the disposal of the Bombay Government, in consideration of the 



* As we may expect a full account hereafter, it is needless to insert the legends 

 here ; they are evidently genuine Roman coins. 



