986 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Nov. 



ciety ; and that a letter be addressed to Government, on the strength of 

 the permission lately accorded, requesting- that the executive engineer of 

 the Delhi division may be authorized to effect the conveyance of the pillar 

 to Calcutta at the public expence. 



With reference to the same pillar, Mr. T. Metcalfe, C. S. forwarded 

 a copy, made by hand with every care, of the inscription. 



Major Piiw's impression lias anticipated this work ; and it is curious to remark 

 the errors committed by the eye in copying even the more perfect passages of 

 the inscription. 



JBabu Conoy La'l Tagore, begged the Society's acceptance of the Beldl 

 Sena copper-plate he sent* for inspection at the last meeting. 



Lieutenant Kittoe forwarded a facsimile of the ancient inscription on 

 the Khandgiri rock, of which an imperfect copy is given in Stirling's Re- 

 port on Cuttack. 



Lieutenant Kittoe had seized the first moment to run out by dak to the spot, 

 a distance of 40 miles, in order to effect this object. He was obliged to con- 

 struct a scaffolding to get at the writing, and the transcription was continued 

 even by torch-light; being much worn, it was found that the morning and even- 

 ing shadows allowed the fairest chance of restoring the doubtful letters. 



The result of this spirited undertaking has been to bring to light a very 

 curious document, entirely different from those hitherto read, in the lat charac- 

 ter. It is of a somewhat later date, and there are already several modifications of 

 the alphabetical forms. 



Colonel Sykes, Member of the Royal Asiatic Society, transmitted from 

 London, copies of a few of the inscriptions on the caves of the Dakhan 

 which he had collected long since, and had presented to the Branch 

 Society of Bombay. 



He had remarked on them, many of the Buddhist symbols noted on the early 

 Indian coins, and he was in hopes the inscriptions if deciphered might throw 

 some light upon them. The Secretary was happy to state that he had read the 

 whole of them at once, and they presented another valuable link in the chain 

 of the primitive alphabet, which would materially aid the labours of the Rev. Mr. 

 Wilson, Mr. Wathen, and Dr. Stephenson, on the west of India. 



Dr. A. Burns communicated copy of another copper-plate grant from 

 Kaira in Gujerat. 



This plate on being deciphered, has also led to a discovery, the value of 

 the numerals corresponding with the alphabets of the third century, hitherto a 

 desideratum. It is applicable to the inscription at Bhilsa,and to several documents 

 published lately without explanation of the numerical signs. 



Captain Edward Smith, Engineers, forwarded impressions on cloth and 

 paper, of the whole of the inscriptions on the Allahabad pillar. 



The mode of executing this difficult task, and the utility of it towards the 

 correction of the highly curious historical details disclosed, were described iu 

 a note by the Secretary, (printed in the present number.) The cloth impression, 

 suspended from the ceiling of one side of the meeting room, spread over several 

 chairs, after touching the ground ! Capt. Smith states that the chief difficulty 

 of the undertaking lay in the pillar not being perfectly straight, which prevented 

 its readily turning or rolling over. 



Captain Smith had submitted to the Military Board, several improved 

 designs for the pedestal and capital of the pillar, adopting the Buddhist Sinha 

 for the surmounting ornament. 



Captain F. Jenkins communicated a translation and analysis of the 

 Ahom fragment published in the January No. of the Journal, made by Jag- 

 gokam Khargarya Phokan, Sadar Amtn of Gohuti. 



Major Ouseley forwarded from Ho&hangabad the sketch of a Jain 

 image in possession of a Khandalwdl bavya, with Prakrit inscription of 300 

 years old. 



Lieut. Madden also sent from Nimach, copies of inscriptions on various 

 Jain images dug up in that neighbourhood. 



General Ventura, Honorary Member, submitted for inspection some 

 Bactrian coins, and Hindu antiques from the Panjdb. 



