964 Re-examination of the various Inscriptions [Nov* 



and which was subsequently confirmed by Mr. Walter Ewer's 

 inspection, as reported to the Society by himself more than a year ago. 



To perform the operation in the most complete and engineer-like 

 manner, Captain Smith divided off the written part of the column into 

 six lengths, and each of these again longitudinally into four quadrantal 

 subdivisions, so that the whole surface of the stone could be printed 

 off upon twenty-four large sheets of paper or cloth. Each paper was 

 made to extend somewhat beyond the actual limit of the compartment 

 so as remove any uncertainty in regard to the letters near the edge. 



" On the system followed at Bhilsa," writes the author, '* I have 

 taken off no fewer than three impressions, that the success of one may 

 supply parts of less happy execution in another. One impress is on cloth, 

 and two are on paper, and together I think they give the inscription 

 as perfectly as any inspection of the stone itself: more distinctly 

 indeed I may say, for the relief of the colored ink brings out the cha- 

 racters with a precision not perceptible on the pillar." 



Of these one paper and one cloth impression have been transmitted 

 to Calcutta, the third being reserved in case of accident to them on the 

 road. When united together the lettered surface measures nearly thirty 

 feet long by nine in width, and comprehends a written superficies of 

 ] 60 square feet ! 



Upon their arrival in Calcutta I lost no time in unfolding the roll 

 and connecting the whole of the paper series (which seemed to have 

 received the strongest print) into a continuous sheet, an operation 

 rendered extremely easy by the tickets and directions accompanying 

 them. 



Our former review of the sculptured surface of the Allahabad pillar 

 had divided the Hindu writing into three heads, that in the ancient or 

 No. 1 character then unknown ; that in the No. 2 or Gay a alphabet; 

 and a third in the modern Deva-nagan, consisting of a multifarious and 

 uninteresting collection of scribblings and names. The same classifi- 

 cation may still be retained, although we may now conveniently ex- 

 change the numerical designations for specific names, more espe- 

 cially as there will be presently shewn to be an intermediate class of 

 writing between Nos. 1 and 2 ; of which similar evidence was furnished 

 among the Bhilsa fragments. 



Commencing then ray inspection with the ancient Buddhist charac- 

 ter (No. 1), I had the satisfaction to find that most of the slight dis- 

 crepancies before remarked, between Lieut. Burt's version and the 

 published Delhi text, disappeared on a careful scrutiny. The few in- 

 stances of preferable reading or correction of the Feroz record which did 



