70 
Dr. Hoernle —Antiquities from Central Asia. [Extra No. 1, 
intentional. Its object evidently is to make it possible to read the 
book in the way previously explained in the General Remarks. The 
regularity of the arrangement seems to indicate that this book was 
really intended to be properly read. If it had been merely intended for 
mechanical use by turning the leaves, there would have been no necessity 
for observing any such strict regularity. It may be further noted that 
discounting the four exceptional and erroneous pages, one end of the 
text (indicated by glii in the above diagrams) is always placed in 
the middle of the page, while the other end is invariably found at the 
top of the page, in whichever way the book is held. This circumstance 
seems to prove clearly, which line of the text must be considered its 
beginning. 
The text is repeated four times on every page. There are only two 
exceptions, viz., pages 48 and 63. On page 48 there are only two im¬ 
pressions, while page 63 has only one. The remainder of the space is 
occupied with legends in an apparently different alphabet, but which 
may also be only a written or “ current ” form of the printed one. 
They are shown on Plate V, and are evidently not printed from a block, 
but written by hand. 
No. II. P5thi. 
Belongs to M. 4. Brought from Khotan, together with No. VI 
and other objects; the whole purchased for Rs. 11-3-2. Size, 8Jx4J 
inches. 11 Number of forms 45. Leaves of a curious, bottle-shaped 
form, see Plates VI-VIII; reminding one of the manuscript book 
found under the skull (see Introduction, pp. xxi). Bound, in the 
Indian fashion, between two rectangular (not bottle-shaped) blocks 
of wood, measuring 8Jx4|xl inches, and rough and uneven on the 
outer, but planed on the inner surfaces ; and exceedingly dry and light 
of weight. Riveted like an Indian copper-plate grant, on the left-hand, 
narrow side of the oblong, by means of one copper peg, which passes 
through the “ neck ” of the bottle-shaped leaves. Paper, of a dirty 
greyish-brown color, and hard, stiff, and brittle and in many leaves 
badly fractured ; also with many fatty stains and occasional burns. The 
whole appearance very suggestive of genuine antiquity. 
Contains recensions Ic, Id and Ie, printed separately on different 
pages, and arranged in two columns, so that there are six impressions of 
recension Id (formula C), and eight impressions each of recensions Ic and 
Ie (formulas Aand E) on a page. Recension Id (C) occtfrs most frequently; 
viz ., on forms 1, 2,6, 7, 9-12, 13 (pp. 2, 3, 4), 14-18, 20-24, 25 (pp. 1-3), 
11 The middle of the pages of the pothi slightly projects beyond the edges of 
the blocks. 
