1865.] Ancient Indian Weights. 27 
and this is the weight I propose to assign to the original rati ; there 
may be some doubt about the second decimal, as we are not bound to 
demand an exact sum of even grains, but the 17 may be accepted with 
full confidence, leaving the hundredth at discretion, though from pre- 
ference, as well as for simplicity of conversion of figures, I adhere to 
the 17. Uuder this system, then, the definition of each ancient weight 
by modern grains will stand as follows :— 
2 Ratisor  3°5 grains. 
1 Masha 
Suver. .4 1 Dharana, or Purdna BBs, 4/5; 4 660 
1 Satamana — 320 boll. ash REO a 
1 Masha —— ee ee eS ye ee 
; 1 Suvarna Soul, 140: 
Goxp if Palasor'Nishka’”) ==¢ga9~7 0? peor)? 
1 Dharana = 8200 ,,_ ,, 5600 ” 
Correr . 1 Karsha == 80) i 2 240 oe 
Se 3 = 40 ” ”? 70: ” 
Subdivisions of Kdrsha .. 44 == 20 , 4, 35 - 
$ = 10 ” ” 175 ” 
On some Siamese Inscriptions —By Dr, A. Bastian. 
[Received 12th May, 1864.—Read 1st June, 1864.,] 
Of the Indo-Chinese alphabets, the most interesting one is that of the 
Siamese. The others, as those of the Cambodian, the Lao, the Shan, 
the Talein, &c., are all derived, more or less directly, from the Pali 
characters, which connect them with the circular alphabets of South India 
and the vernacular Singhalese. The Siamese flows more immediately 
from the Sanscrit and has, for instance, preserved the three sibilants, 
whereas there is only one in the Pali and its cognate languages. For 
a great many of those terms, which all the Buddhistic literatures of 
eastern India have purloined from the Pali, the Siamese possesses two 
forms, one taken from the original Sanscrit, and the other modified by 
its passage through the medium of the Pali. In writing the sacred 
books of the Trai-Pidak, the Siamese do not employ their vernacular 
letters, but have borrowed the Pali ones from the Cambodians, and 
call them therefore Akson (Akkara) Khom or Khamen letters. The 
Birmese use only one alphabet, (with the single exception of the square 
characters), whereas the Laos and Cambodians have varied a little the 
