2 n 
R. Hoernle —Three f urther Collections of 
[No. 4, 
dug some out from a big mound situated at the west of the city 
[Kuehar], and almost 5 li [slightly over a mile] from it, and that 
as this took place a long time ago, the documents had now either 
been sold or burnt. I also went in person to make an inspection 
of the mound winch was about 10 chang [approximately 100 feet] 
in height and of about the same dimension in circumference. As 
people had already been digging there, a cavity was seen, which, 
however, had fallen in. I hired 25 men to dig under proper super¬ 
vision. After two months’ work, they only dug out a parcel of 
torn paper and torn leaves with writing on them. I now forward 
this to you. If afterwards I discover any person possessing such 
manuscripts I shall again communicate with you.” 
The locality of the find, indicated in this letter, as I shall show 
further on {infra, p. 240), appears to be the same as that from which 
the Bower MSS. and the Weber MSS. have been recovered. 
Specimens of the fragments, which constitute this collection, are 
shown on Plate YII in full size. It will be seen that they are the merest 
scraps of manuscripts. There is none among them of any larger size 
than the largest shown in the plate. Of course, the most legible 
specimens have been selected for exhibition, though even among them 
there are some which are only legible with the greatest difficulty. But 
their interest lies not so much in what they contain, as in the various 
types of character in which, and the material, on which they are 
written. 
The material of the fragments is of three different kinds : palm- 
leaf, birch-bark, and paper. The fragments of palm-leaf are shown 
under No. I: they are all that were found in the collection. Those 
of birch-bark are shown under No. II: there are four more which 
have not been figured. The whole of the remainder are scraps of 
paper. It will be noticed that the paper is of several very distinct 
varieties, from a very brown and hard (No. IX) to a very white 
and soft (No. XII) kind. The latter, like the paper of some of the 
Weber MSS., is coated with a thick sizing of gypsum. 
The following is a summary of the collection:— 
No. I, palm-leaf, 9 pieces. 
,, II, birch-bark, 13 ,, 
„ III, paper, 12 „ 
,, IV, do. 1 ,, 
„ V, VI, do. 8 „ 
„ VII, do. 10 ,, 
„ VIII,' do. 2 ,, 
IX, do. 25 
