10 M. A. Stein —New inscriptions discovered by Major Beane. [No. 1, 
I cannot conclude this brief notice of the inscriptions of the Boner 
group without pointing out that this is the only one in which inscrip¬ 
tions of an approximately monumental look have yet been met with. 
The inscriptions of the first or Spankharra group are scarcely more 
than Sgraffitti on small stones which show no mark of having been 
specially prepared for bearing records. The inscriptions of the third 
group to be noticed next are also without exception engraved on stones 
of comparatively small size which, whether found detached or fitted into 
walls, are ecpially irregular in their shape. Against this, we find in the 
Boner group several inscriptions of greater size, like M. Senart’s No. 5 
and our Nos. 27, 29, 30 which are engraved in regular lines and evidently 
with far more care and routine than those referred to. 
The new inscriptions of the third or Mahaban group, Nos. 37-41, 
come almost all from the identical localities from which M. Senart’s 
specimens were procured. Asgram lies at. the end of a spur which 
runs down from Mount Mahaban to the south, at a point circ. 72°' 
45' E. Long., 34° 7' N. Lat. Palosdarra according to Major Beane’s 
note seems to be situated about 72° 35' E. Long., 34° 9' N. Lat. close 
to the village Boka marked on the map near the Border towards Khudu- 
kliel territory. Suludhem seems to be about 3 to 4 miles to the north of 
Boka. The Kliudukhel territory begins immediately to the west 
and north of Suludheri. Sarpatti is the name of a spur running to Ihe 
north-west of Mahaban ; its highest point is marked on the map at 72° 
40' E. Long., 34° 21' N. Lat. 
Whereas the find-spots of all the other inscriptions of this group 
are closely gathered round the spurs of Mount Mahaban, No. 46 which 
comes from Kaldarra near Dargai takes us far away to the west into 
the vicinity of the Malakand Pass. 
Regarding the characters which appear on these stones in such 
bewildering variety I have nothing to add to M. Senart’s remarks, 
p. 21 sqq. No. 41 is of some interest as a socket cut into the stone, 
evidently with the intention of fitting it to another, makes it probable 
that the original position of the stone was the one shown in the plate. 
At the same time it appears that the inscription was engraved after the 
stone had been fitted in the above manner, as none of the characters 
falling near the cut edges seem to be mutilated. If a conclusion can be 
drawn from the fact that in the three outer lines which follow the 
rounded contour of the stone, the terminal signs below are cut up to the 
very edge of the socket, a direction of the writing from right to left 
would appear probable. 
Perhaps the most curious of the new inscriptions in unknown 
characters are the five stones Nos. 47-51, which come from Zangi Khan 
