131 
1900.J A. F. R- Hoernle — Epigraphical Note on Palm-leaf^ etc, 
writing material to which the Proto- Aramaean script had to be adapted. 
Professor Biihler accounts for them by “ a certain pedantic formalism ” of 
the Indians. But they are far more naturally accounted for by the fact 
that the South Indians adopted the Corypha palm-leaf to write upon, 
and took to the fashion of scratching tlieir letters on them. Why they 
should have chosen palm-leaves and the method of scratching on them, 
is another question which it would be interesting to explain. But any- 
how, as a matter of fact, they did make their choice in that way. And 
having done so, the principles above referred to followed almost as a 
matter of course. Considering the venation of the palm-leaf (cross- 
veins running at right angles with the length of the leaf), one could 
only scratch letters with comfort on them, if they were made “of 
vertical lines with appendages attached at the foot ” instead of the top, 
and “ set up straight.” Considering the extreme narrowness of the 
palm-leaf (about 2| inches at most), admitting only a very small number 
of lines, the letters had to he “ made equal in height,” lest space was 
wasted. 
In connection with this another point comes in. The Semitic script 
runs from the right to the left, while the Brahmi runs from the left to 
the right. So far as I know, it has never been satisfactorily explained 
what could have induced the Indians to introduce the change. The 
houstrophedon method of writing which is supposed to account for the 
same change of direction in Greece, will not serve as an explanation ; for 
that method has never been observed in any Indian inscription, nor is it 
ever noticed in Indian tradition. I should like to suggest the following 
explanation. The original writing material of the Indians were very narrow 
oblongs ; bamboo-slips or palm-leaves. On these they probably wrote (as 
also the Chinese do) originally invertical lines, parallel with the longer 
d 1 a a II 6 side, (ah in fig. I) and running, after 
the Semitic fashion, from the right 
(a) to the left (c?), every letter also 
^ ^ facing left. With this method of 
writing the earlier-written lines 
would be hidden from view by the hand as it moved across the 
surface of the writing-material. To avoid this inconvenience, a 
half-turn was given to the latter, so as to bring its longer side 
(ah) to the top (fig. II). The consequence was a complete 
change in the direction of writing ; for now the letters on the 
lines ran from the left (a) to the right (6), and the lines from 
c 6 the top (a) to the bottom (d), parallel with the longer side (ah) 
as shown in fig. II. This is precisely the way in which all 
existing Indian pothls are written. By the half-turn, given to the 
