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very remarkable groups of cairns ; and that, during examinations in 

 several instances, by General J. S. Fraser, Captain, now Colonel Doria, 

 and others, bells, iron weapons, and pottery, deposited in the Mu- 

 seum of the Eoyal Asiatic Society of Bombay, had been exhumed. In 

 compliance with my request, Sir George Yule personally superintended 

 the excavation of the cairn I now allude to, and has kindly sent me 

 what he found in it. I have only to regret that no notes of the pro- 

 ceeding were taken ; for it would have been interesting to know the size 

 and configuration of this cairn, and the depth at which the remains 

 were found, &c. Such particulars will, I trust be supplied to me 

 hereafter, in regard to other cairns examined at Hyderabad or other 

 localities in the Dekhan ; and for the present I have only to offer a few 

 remarks upon the character of the articles sent to me, which I present 

 to the Academy. 



IRON WEAPONS. 



These are not so perfect as some obtained p by me from Shorapoor cairns, 

 but they are in some instances in fair preservation. The best are two 

 triangular arrow heads of large size, figs. 1, 2. Others appear to have 

 been smaller, and more pointed — round, perhaps, or four- sided : of these 

 figs. 3, 4, and 5 are specimens. A rod of iron or steel, twenty-five 

 inches in length, was no doubt the blade of a javelin, such as is used at 

 the present day by Brinjarries, or grain carriers, who are descended 

 from some ancient nomadic tribe. Two small lance or spear heads are very 

 perfect, viz., figs. 6, 7 ; and there are some portions of what perhaps 

 was originally a sword or dagger blade, fig. 8. The rest of the iron 

 articles are, no doubt, portions of larger weapons, probably spears, but 

 they are much decayed and broken. 



BRONZE. 



Although specimens of bronze in bells, cups, &c, were found in Hy- 

 derabad cairns, none were discovered by me in the examination of those 

 of the Shorapoor district, which only yielded iron and pottery. It is 

 difficult to determine what the precise use of the article now exhibited 

 may have been ; but it has a greater resemblance to a cover than any- 

 thing else, (vide fig. 9). When received, the handle, which is in the 

 form of a deer or a sheep, though most probably intended for the 

 former, was separate from the cover ; but it was discovered that the 

 broken portions at the feet of the animal fitted exactly into a fracture at 

 the top of the round portion ; and they have been joined as represented. 

 The diameter of the lower portion of the article is eleven inches, and 

 the centre rises three and a half inches from the rim. The thickness 

 of the metal is one-tenth of an inch, equable throughout ; and it 

 has been very carefully cast and finished, if not polished. The handle 

 was evidently cast separately, and joined to the lower piece by solder. 

 The quality of the metal does not appear to have been affected by 

 time, and it is of a clear bright colour under the crust which covers it. 



This very unique specimen of bronze work adds, I consider, very 



