1853.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 577 



4th. — From Captain Layard, two slabs of basalt inscribed with 

 Pali characters. 



The following is an extract from Captain L.'s letter : 

 " I yesterday put on board a boat belonging to Messrs. J. and R. 

 "Watson which leaves Berhampore this morning, two stones from 

 Ghysabad, on which you will distinguish a few .characters apparently 

 Pali in shape. I have had the stones much reduced in size, as they 

 were over-large and heavy for carriage ; but this cutting has in no 

 way interferred with the inscriptions on them. I may again mention 

 that the stones were built into rude steps leading up to a small 

 Durgah, in which is said to be the tomb of Sultan Ghyas-ood-deen. 

 The ground near the Durgah is covered with the debris of an ancient 

 Hindu temple of Tribeni. I doubt the tomb at Ghysabad being that 

 of Ghyas-ood-deen. One Ghyas-ood-deen reigned A. H. 7G9 and was 

 buried with his two sons Zayn-oolab ideen and Wahaz-ood-deen at 

 Peroa in a mosque called the Eklakhee. Among the early conquerors 

 of Bengal I find a Sultan " Hcesam-ood-deen avuz Ghyas-ood-deen ;" 

 but he was killed near Gour in battle, by Nassir-ood-deen (the 

 prince reigned in 609, A. H.), and was probably buried on the spot. 

 It was near the Durgah that the small gold coins were found, which 

 I sent to you last cold weather ; others have been found lately. A 

 twelve-armed figure, of which the enclosed is a sketch, was found 

 during the last dry season in the bed of an old tank. The carving 

 is rude and unfinished, and the figure here and there defective, as you 

 may perceive. In the hand holding the sacred shell, I fancy the 

 idol must represent Vishnu or rather his incarnation, as I know of 

 no twelve-armed god amongst the numberless Hindu deities, nor 

 can any pundit here enlighten me ! You will see that the hands hold 

 the saw, the boar, the lotus, a bird, a half human figure, an elephant's 

 head, a shell and some undistinguishable object, imperfect on the 

 stone. I have not sent the idol, as it is, as you see, mutilated (of course 

 by Kala Pahar), but will do so if you think it worth preserving in 

 the Museum. I think I mentioned to you before, that the country 

 inland around Ghysabad bespeaks the site of an ancient Hindu 

 city ; numerous dry tanks, blocks of black stone, broken bricks and 

 pottery, with the remains of fountains and roads, are every where 

 to be seen. The name of the city I could not discover, but it is 



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