JOURNAL, 
OF THE 
ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL. 
— -c - — 
Part I.— HISTORY, LITERATURE, &e. 
No. I.— 1893. 
© 
The Weber MSS. — Another collection pf, ancient , manuscripts from 
Central Asia. — By Dr. A. F. Rudolf Hoeenle. 
(With four Plates.) 
In July last I received from the Reverend F. Weber, Moravian 
Missionary in Leli in Ladak, a small packet, containing ancient 
manuscripts. 
Regarding the circumstances under which the manuscripts were 
discovered, and given to Mr. Weber, the latter in two letters, dated the 
21st June and 29th July last, gives me the following information. They 
were found in the neighbourhood of a place called Kugiar, in a “ house ” 
which, apparently, since times immemorial had been ruined and buried. 
An Afghan merchant, hoping to discover buried treasure, with much 
trouble undertook the excavation of the “ house.” He found, however, 
only the bodies of some “ cows,” which on the first contact crumbled 
into dust. At the same time he found also the manuscripts. As Mr. 
Weber is known to the people to bo a collector of Tibetan curiosities, 
the manuscripts were taken to him by a person who had received them 
from the finder. He was also shown an “ Urdu ” letter from the latter, 
giving the above account of his exploration, but not knowing “ Urdu,” 
Mr. Weber could not read the letter himself. 
It would have been satisfactory to learn something more accurate 
about the identity of tho so-called “ house ” in which, and the “ cows ” 
J. i. 1 
