Section II.—Bloch Prints. 
57 
The Question of 
Genuineness. 
1899.] 
no great importance in itself; but it may in some cases prove auxiliary 
in determining the orientation of a script or text. 
Considering the abundance of the block-prints and the mystery of 
their scripts, it is not surprising that the 
suspicion of forgery should suggest itself. It 
suggested itself to me at an early stage of my 
acquaintance with the Khotanese books ; and I am informed that it has 
also suggested itself to some of the British Museum authorities and 
others. But it was not till the summer of 1898 that the suspicion took 
a more definite shape in a letter, dated the 29th June, 1898, which I 
received from Mr. Backlund, Swedish Missionary in Kashghar, in 
response to a request by me for information on the subject; for at 
one time, in the course of my examination of the block-prints my suspicion 
had been much strengthened by the observation of the extreme want of 
order in certain books. This result was subsequently neutralised by 
the observation of the striking consistency of order in other books. It 
became clear that, as I have already shown, both phenomena are quite 
compatible with a general genuineness of the block-print books; and in 
fact, all the evidence that gradually accumulated has tended to confirm 
that conclusion. Mr. Backlund’s account is as follows : 
“ It is my duty to own that till quite recently I have scarcely taken 
any interest in that old Khotan literature. In April last [1898], however, 
Islam Akhun brought to me three copies, which, according to what he 
told me, had been found in the neighbourhood of Aq Safil, buried under 
sand in a hollow tree, together with other books of the same kind. Some 
days before, he had sold two or three copies to Mr. Macartney also, 4 but 
nevertheless he urged me not to say a word to Mr. Macartney about my 
acquisition. Upon my having a look at the books to discover whether they 
were print or hand-written, he felt somewhat uneasy and whispered, “ “it 
is astonishing how attentively he is looking at the books.” ” I offered him 
less than the half of what he asked, and he not only handed over to me the 
books without haggling, but also gave me into the bargain some old coins 
he had with him. When he had gone out, one of our servants, entering 
my room said, “ “ Sahib, I want to tell you that these books are not 
so old as they are pretended to be. As I know how they are prepared, 
I wish to inform you of it. When I lived in Khotan, I wished very 
much to enter into the business, but was always shut out and could 
even get no information about the books. At last I consulted my mother 
4 These are probably included among the eight books which were sent to me 
with a letter dated the 13th April, 1898. They were acquired from Islam Akhun, 
but were stated by him to have been found in Kiang Tuz on the road to Cherchen. 
J. i. 12 
