1865.] 



indent foidian Weights, 



27 



and this is the weight I propose to assign to the original rati ; there 

 may be some doubt about the second decimal, as we are not bound to 

 demand an exact sum of even grains, but the 1*7 may be accepted with 

 full confidence, leaving the hundredth at discretion, though from pre- 

 ference, as well as for simplicity of conversion of figures, I adhere to 

 the If. Uuder this system, then, the definition of each ancient weight 

 by modern grains will stand as follows : — 



fl Masha = 2 Ratis or 3*5 grains 



Silver . Jl Dharana, or Purana = 32 ,, , 



, 560 „ 



(^ 1 Satamana = 320 ,, , 



, 560- 





fl Masha = 5 „ , 



8-75 , 





p J 1 Suvarna := 80 ,, , 

 trOLD . . < 1 pal ^ " r Nigllka _ 32Q ^ ? 



[ 1 Dharana = 3200 „ , 



, 140- 



, 560- , 





, 5600- , 





Copper . 1 Karsha =. 80 „ , 



, 140- 





(i = 40 „ , 



, 70- 





Subdivisions of Karsha . . < ^ = 20 ,, , 



i 3 &' 





U = io „ , 



, 17-5 





On some Siamese Inscriptions. — By Dr. A. Bastian. 

 [Received 12th May, 1864— Read 1st June, 1864.] 



Of the Indo-Chinese alphabets, the most interesting one is that of the 

 Siamese. The others, as those of the Cambodian, the Lao, the Shan, 

 the Talein, &c, are all derived, more or less directly, from the Pali 

 characters, which connect them with the circular alphabets of South India 

 and the vernacular Singhalese. The Siamese flows more immediately 

 from the Sanscrit and has, for instance, preserved the three sibilants, 

 whereas there is only one in the Pali and its cognate languages. For 

 a great many of those terms, which all the Buddhistic literatures of 

 eastern India have purloined from the Pali, the Siamese possesses two 

 forms, one taken from the original Sanscrit, and the other modified by 

 its passage through the medium of the Pali. In writing the sacred 

 books of the Trai-Pidak, the Siamese do not employ their vernacular 

 letters, but have borrowed the Pali ones from the Cambodians and 

 call them therefore Akson (Ahlcara) Khom or Khamen letters. The 

 Birmese use only one alphabet, (with the single exception of the square 

 characters), whereas the Laos and Cambodians have varied a little the 



