1868.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 115 



Timur to Shah Jehan, the subject is treated in the abstract, the his- 

 tory becoming enlarged gradually as the author approaches his own 

 times. The first portion, however, for the reasons before assigned, 

 should be printed as well as the last. The author was certainly the 

 most competent historian of his period, and his criticisms upon other 

 historians are not without value. In the publication of this work, 

 moreover, the Society will secure the history of a period of 26 years 

 after the death of Aurangzeb, during which Khafi Khan was a con- 

 temporary writer. During this interval seven kings reigned. Azim 

 Shah, Bahadur Shah, Shah Aalam, Azim us-Shein, Jehandar Shah, 

 Farokshir, Ran" ud Dirajat, and Mohammed Shah. Some of these 

 kings only reigned a few months, and of the whole period of 

 26 years, 14 belong to Mahommad Shah. Manuscripts of Khafi Khan 

 are very numerous. There are four in the Society, two of which are 

 complete, and two or three more could doubtless be obtained in 

 Calcutta and the neighbourhood, but perfect copies, *. e., good and 

 accurate copies are rare, and the discrepancies between some of the 

 copies I have seen are so great as to warrant the supposition that 

 there were two editions of the work. Some care therefore will be 

 required in editing this valuable history. Maulawi Kabir ud-din and 

 Maulawi Grholam Qadir, the two resident Munshis of the Madrassah, 

 would, I think execute the work well. The former has an acquaintance 

 with the requirements of critical editing, and understands the value 

 of variations in readings, and how to discriminate between copyist's 

 errors, and doubtful texts ; and the latter is a good Persian scholar. 



" For the smaller works the Maasi i Alamgiri, Maulawis Abd al Hye 

 and Ubd ur Rahim will perform the duties of editors I think effi- 

 ciently. The former has a knowledge of English, and has edited and 

 assisted in the editing of very many texts for the Society." 



The following letter from Dr. R. H. Curran forwarding pieces of 

 gold and silver found under the skin of a Burmese convict at the 

 Andaman Islands, was read. 



Port Blair, Andamans. 



March 4th, 1868. 

 " Sir, — I have the honor to forward for the Asiatic Society, the 

 enclosed pieces of gold and silver which I accidentally found whilst 



