616 



Inscription found near Bhabra, three marches from Jeypore on the 

 road to Delhi. By Capt. Burt. 



My dear Sir, 



I have the pleasure to send you for the Journal, copy facsimile 

 of an inscription in the No. 1, or oldest Lat,h character, which I have 

 lately been fortunate enough to discover upon a hill lying adjacent to 

 a place called Byrath, which is situated at a distance of six kos from 

 Bhabra, to the left, or east, of my route from Delhi to Jeypore, 

 Bhabra being three marches from this place. 



I found it on a har^l, grey granite block, irregularly shaped, and mea- 

 suring about two feet in two of its dimensions, and a foot and a half 

 in the third ; the weight of it is therefore inconsiderable, so that if the 

 Society wish to possess so beautiful a specimen as it exhibits of the 

 durability of an engraving executed upon that material, you have only 

 to make their wishes known to Major Thoresby, who has kindly stated 

 that he will, in that case, endeavour to obtain the consent of the peo- 

 ple of the neighbourhood to its removal, when it could be transported 

 to the Jumna on a cart, (a few men sufficing for its trip down the 

 hill) and from thence be conveyed by an ordnance return boat to 

 Calcutta at a very trifling cost. 



Jet/pur, 18th August, 1840. I am, my dear Sir, yours truly, 



To H. Torrens, Esq. J. S. BURT. 



Note. — This inscription, which is in the oldest of the Lat,h characters, has 

 been sent to me for publication by Capt. Burt, in copy facsimile. The dis- 

 covery of such an exceedingly interesting historical relic, has added another 

 to the list of most valuable contributions for which the thanks of our Soci- 

 ety are due to that intelligent and indefatigable Officer. It is, as will be 

 seen, another of Asoka's edicts. 



Capt. Kittoe having most kindly offered to superintend the publication 

 of the inscription, I will not rob him of the fruit of his research, by 

 anticipating, in any observations of my own, the results which a careful 

 examination of the writing led him, I think most justly, to deduce from 

 it, both as regards the reading of the characters and interpretation of the 

 words. A reading kindly supplied by Capt. Burt was of much value in 

 determining the exact meaning of several of the characters, but as the one 

 now submitted may be considered, with the united aid of Pundits Kamala- 

 kanta, and Sarodha Prushad, an emendation, it alone has been published. 



