1900.] A. F. R. Hoernle — EpigrnpTiical Note on Palm-leaf, etc. 117 
Among tlie 45 manuscripts listed in this Table, there are 35 which, 
as their width shows, are undoubtedly written on Corypha leaves. 
There are only eight MSS. (Nos. 9, 10, 19, 21, 31, 31, 37 and 40) which, 
by their width of If inches, might be written on Borassus leaves. 
But their age, as well as their isolated position among Corypha 
manuscripts, renders it certain that they are also Corypha manuscripts. 
Indeed, as a matter of fact. Nos. 9 and 37, which I have myself 
inspected, are Corypha manuscripts. I may add that down to 1739 A.D. 
(No. 44) I have not found, among all the Bihar MSS. that T have 
examined and measured, a single manuscript written on Borassus 
leaves. So far, therefore, as evidence, at present available, goes, it 
points to the fact that, down to the middle of the 18bh century, 
Corypha leaves were in exclusive use in Bihar for book- writing. 
About that time, perhaps, the use of Borassus leaves may have been 
introduced from Bengal ; for No. 45, of 1836 A.D., is evidently a 
Borassus manuscript. Any how, in the present day, as I learn from 
special enquiries made by me, both kinds of palm-leaf are in use in Bihar, 
though, for book- writing at least, paper has nearly entirely Superseded 
palm-leaf, so that it is very difficult now-a-days to obtain a quite modern 
palm-leaf manuscript. In fact, in spite of persistent endeavours, I 
have failed to obtain for personal inspection a single Bihar palm-leaf 
manuscript of the 18th and 19th centuries. This remark, regarding the 
supercession of palm-leaf by paper, also applies to Bengal, but not to 
Orissa. 
With regard to Orissa I am in a somewhat unsatisfactory position. 
Palm-leaf manuscripts, written in Oriyn, are very uncommon in Calcutta, 
and the majority of those one meets with are not dated. Moreover 
the Jew manuscripts which bear some date are not dated in any era, 
but merely in the regnal years of certain kings. I have been able to 
examine the following seven manuscripts : — 
Table VI.** Orissa Palm-leap MSS. 
No. 
A.D. 
Date. 
Reference. 
Measures. 
Mat. 
1 
1660-92 
Some year of Mukunda 
Govt. Ind. 
ItV 
Bor. 
2 
1683 
24th do. 
do. 
I5xli 
Bor. 
3 
1683 
24th do. 
do. 
n 
Bor. 
4 
1690 
31st do. 
No. 2837 
in Notices. 
16xli 
Bor. 
5 
1708 
17th of Divya Simlia . . 
Govt. Ind. 
Bor. 
6 
1752 
10th of Ke 9 ari 
do. 
14f xlf 
Bor. 
7 
1766 
24th of do. 
do. 
15 xH 
Bor. 
12 On the chronology of the kings of Orissa, see Prinsep’s Useful Tables, p. 267 
(in Vol. II of his Indian Antiquities, ed, Thomas), also Hunter’s Orissa and 
J. I. 16 
