402 Literary Intelligence. [No. 4, 



" First as to plated coins, they are not uncommon, and are 

 evidently ancient, I have myself met with didrachma of Hippostratus, 

 Azilizas, and Azas, with a drachma of Hermteus and with hemidrachmas 

 of Menander, Apollodotus and Philoxenes, &c. I have no doubt 

 too the celebrated silvered Kadphises was one of this type. I have 

 even found a copper hemidrachma of Menander which had clearly 

 never been silvered. Once too near Rawul Pindee I found in a 

 village an immense hoard of Satnanta Deo coins evidently intended 

 to be silvered. They were in brass and blundered terribly in their 

 execution. I have no doubt that the ancient Hindu passed bad 

 money as often as his modern descendant. 



" This much for that question. In " re Sahetana" I have succeeded 

 by the aid of Fa hian, in getting a clear identification of Sahet 

 Mahet. I find this in the account of Buddha's death (' Sakya 

 Muni') which Laidlay, in speaking of Kusinagar, extracts from 

 Tumour's Mahawanso. In it Sakya Muni's disciples are represented 

 as remonstrating with him for selecting so insignificant a place as 

 Kusinagar as the scene of his ' nirvana,' and ask why he has not 

 selected one of the six neighbouring great cities, ' Varanasi' (Benares), 

 ' Rajagaho' (Rajgriha), ' Sawattho' (Sravarti), Sahetan — Kosambhi 

 or Champa. Sahetan is clearly ' Sahet Mahet.' I have since heard 

 from C. A. Elliott and from the Raja of Kupoorthulla, who have 

 both visited it, and who confirm Maun Singh's description in all 

 respects. It is, the former says, Jilnabed on the Raptee. It is 

 in the Kupoorthulla Rajah's illaka, and he purposes clearing it of 

 jungle. This cold season I have spoken to him about it, but it 

 would do no harm if you write to him. He is a very intelligent man 

 and speaks admirable English very fluently. It is no doubt a good 

 field, and I would advise your trying it. 



As to ' Champa'' and ' Kosambhi'' mentioned above, the former is, 

 I suppose, perhaps to be looked for about Champarun, if similarity of 

 names is worth anything. Kosambhi, Fa hian places N. W. of 

 Sarnath at Benares and at a distance (13 yieow yau = 60 miles) 

 which would land it near Sultanpur, near to which as I told you Raja 

 Maun Singh says, there are Buddhist remains. 



" But the pundits here declare it is identical with Karra Manikpur. 

 I had, however, a discussion on the subject and found that their 



