968 Ancient Inscriptions. [Nov. 



A. D. 319. But there is no word whatsoever in the grant to warrant a 

 reference of this Sumbut to that sera, and it seems much more natural to 

 suppose the Sumbut, or year, to be either the Sumbut of Vikramaditya 

 with the figures eifaced, or merely to have reference to the year of Sri- 

 dhara Sena's accession. If the figure which follows the word Sumbut 

 be indeed a 9, (it is not very plain) there is nothing to prevent the year 

 of the reign of that sovereign being indicated thereby, as has been 

 usual with many rajas, and as was practised even by raja Kishen Chund 

 of Nudea within the last sixty years. Assuming therefore thirty years 

 for the interval of the son's succeeding Skanna Bhatta as minister, 

 the proper date of Mr. Wathen's Tamba-patra, will be 279 A. D. and 

 that of Sridhara Sena's accession 270 A. D. The date upon Dr. A. 

 Burns' grant, examined from the facsimiles taken oft 7 in printing ink, 

 is clear, so as to admit of no doubt of the figures, or of its being the 

 Sumbut of Vikrama'ditya that is referred to*. 



The translation of this Tamba-patra is given entire, and nearly 

 literal, from a transcript made by Mr. James Prinsep, the pandit 

 Kamalakanta, aided by the Sanskrit College student Sarodaprosad, 

 having rendered it for us into English. 



The character of the original exactly corresponds with that of Mr* 

 Wathen's grant, of which a facsimile has been already published, so 

 that we are saved the necessity of having a separate plate prepared 

 to exhibit it. 



* Since the above was sent to press, a letter has reached Calcutta from Mr. 

 Wathen at the Cape of Good Hope, dated 16th October last, which, after 

 expressing great interest in the discoveries made from the Asoka inscriptions, 

 concludes as follows : " My impression was, before 1 left India, that I mistook 

 the Sumbut in the Gujrat Inscriptions, and that it is that of Vikrama'ditya." 

 This siogularly confirms the conclusion we had come to, from comparison of 

 the date in this No. 1. grant of Dr. Burns ; and would seem to show that the 

 year of the grant of Sridhara Sena, translated by Mr. Wathen, was in his 

 opinion erased, and that the imperfect figures in the plate are not to be read as 

 the figure 9. 



t The numbers indicate the lines of the copper plate. 



