Oct. 1845.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society . ci 



Read the following letters from the late Major Leech and R. C. 

 Cust, Esq., B. C. S. 



To H. Torrens, Esq. Secretary, Asiatic Society. 



My dear Sir, — I have the pleasure to inform you that I will despatch by banghy dawk 

 to-day or to-morrow, for presentation to the Asiatic Society, three other MSS. relating 

 to the History of the Afghans, and a History of Herat, with the commencement of our 

 Abstract of the same. 



It had been my intention with the above materials and those already in the possession of the 

 Society (History of the early Abdalees) and with the History of Ahmud Shah Duranee 

 forwarded yesterday, to have compiled a History, but I have not hitherto had, nor do I 

 see any prospect of my ever having the requisite leisure. 



An accident moreover that my small library met with (vide the damaged state of the 

 MSS.) a few months ago, has determined me to lose no time in placing the valuable 

 MSS. in a safe place. 



The Society are of course at liberty to put them at the disposal of any person having- 

 more leisure than myself to extract what is interesting in them. 



R. Leech, 



1st A. G. G. A., N. W. P. 



Umbalah, 7th August, 1845. 



To H. Torrens, Esq. 



My dear Sir, — I have the pleasure to inform you that I will to-day or to-morrow 

 transmit by banghy dawk, for presentation to the Asiatic Society, the History of Ahmad. 

 Shah Duranee, in Persian, accompanied by an abstract of the same. I have every 

 reason to believe that the work is a scarce one. It was procured by me after several 

 years' search in Afghanistan. The original (the one from which this is a copy) is in the 

 possession of one of the Princes at Peshawar. 



R. Leech, 

 1st A. G. G. A., N. W. P. 

 Umbalah, 5th August, 1845. 



To H. Torrens, Esq. 



My dear Sir, — Among the papers upon the table of my lamented friend Major Leech, 

 I found when taking charge of his office at Umbalah a letter from yourself, dated the 20th 

 ultimo, open, but unanswered, conveying to him the thanks of the Asiatic Society for 

 his map of the Kurukhetra. He received it a few days before he died, and one of his 

 last acts was giving instructions to his Pundit and Mapper, with regard to the comple 

 tion of the interesting work, which he had in part forwarded to you. In this part of 

 the world we have much to regret his loss, and his papers shew the number of scientifi- 

 and curious researches in which his active mind was unceasingly employed, of the results 

 of which the Journal of the Asiatic Society has more than one specimen. Some of the 

 works which he forwarded to Govt, have not yet seen the light. I trust that they may 

 (especially a contribution upon the subject of the Sikh religion) some day be published. 



It appears from your letter about the Kurukhetra that you are in the belief that the whole 

 of the narrative to accompany the map has been forwarded to you : — if I am not in error, 

 a great portion is still unfinished, but I have directed the Pundit employed to proceed in 

 his works, and if you desire it I will forward it to you. I have been aware of Major 





