46 
Dr. Hoernle —Antiquities from Central Asia. [Extra No. 1, 
the bracketed numbers. The pegs are applied like rivets, that is, 
tbeir ends are bent over and beaten down fast; but before doing so, 
they are passed, through thin pieces of copper, as a protection to the 
leaves. Sometimes (as in No. YII of the First Set, No. Ill of the Fifth 
Set and No. V of the Seventh Set) these guards are round ornamental 
pieces, resembling coins, as shown in fig. 3 of Plate IV; or they are 
elliptical (as in No. VIII of the First Set) or oblong (as in No. VI of 
the Seventh Set) ; but many of them (as in Nos. I and VII of the First 
Set, Nos. I and III of the Fourth Set, No. Ill of the Fifth Set, and 
No. I of the Seventh Set) are evidently portions of a large ornamental 
circular plaque which had been cut into pieces ; and in this case the 
pieces are very large, as shown in Plate IV, fig. I. In two cases (in No. 
I of the Second Set, and in the book of the Eighth Set) the guards 
consist of two long slips of copper, extending the whole length of the 
book. The twists of paper are applied, like pieces of string, to form 
loops. The stitching with thread only occurs in two books, in No. II of 
the Third Set and in the book of the Ninth Set. As a rule the fastening 
is made in three separate places, by three nails, or three twists of paper, 
or three loops of thread. Twice, however, in No. Ill of the Fourth Set 
and in the book of the Ninth Set, four pegs and four threads respectively 
are used; and once, in No. II (Pothi) of the First Set, only one peg. A 
fastening in two places is more frequent; four times (in No. VIII of the 
First Set, Nos. V and VI of the Fifth Set, and No. IV of the Seventh 
Set) only two pegs are used ; and twice (in No. VII of the First and 
No. VIII of the Fifth Set) only two twists of paper. The three initial 
and the three fiual pages are as a rule left blank ; and thus the first and 
the last leaves, being blank, serve as covers to the book. In one case 
(No. VIII of the Fifth Set) seven initial and seven final pages (i.e., 
three leaves on each side) are left blank. The probable object of this 
arrangement is disclosed by No. II of the Second Set and No. I of the 
Fifth Set, in which four and two leaves respectively have been pasted 
together to form pasteboard covers at either end. The single exception 
above referred to is a pothi (No. II of the First Set), that is, a book 
arranged in the Indian fashion. In this case, 
the whole collection of “forms” is placed 
between two pieces of wood, and held in position by riveting it with one 
copper peg, passed through the middle of one of the narrow sides, as 
shown in Plate VIII. The arrangement is exactly the same as in the 
case of a set of Indian copper-plates of a landgrant. The peg takes the 
place of the seal-ring of the grant, or of the string of a manuscript. 
The two ends of the peg are split in two, and the two splits are turned 
over right and left, after having been passed through.the thin copper 
The Pothi. 
