1901.] 
Section III. Manuscripts. 
25 
record of the loan of 15,000 cash, on the security of a house and a 
person. Signature, the marks of the borrower (Sumenti, aged 39) and 
his surety (Ngan, aged 30), being three dashes (==) and two crosses 
respectively. Place of transaction, apparently a village (name not deci¬ 
phered) near Li-sieh (Litse). 
ISTo. 4. Document. 
Belongs to Gr. 1. Described and figured by me in the Journal of 
the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Yol. LXYI (1897), p. 230, Plate viii. 
No. 16. Said to have been dug out from a buried town near Kuchar, 
Size, 5| x 2£". Oblong slip, torn at top; on other sides complete. 
Writing, in three columns, parallel to long side, in book-hand. Between 
first and second column, near the top, three Brahmi letters % ro- 
lau-de , running parallel to columns, but to be read horizontally, from 
left to right, of the same cursive type as in the Brahmi documents of 
Set I, in Class II and in the Pothi No. 6 of Set II. Purport, certificate 
of payment of taxes. Date, “ the 26th day of the month .; ” 
rest mutilated. Mr. Macartney (letter, 28th October, 1897), states 
that the Chinese characters “ resemble what is known as the writing of 
the Yen family of the T’ang dynasty (618-907 A.D.), but that the 
style of Chinese writing rarely offers a clue to age.” The two 
circumstances of the occurrence of the cursive Brahmi script by the 
side of the Chinese, and of the general resemblance, in externals, of 
No. 4 to the dated Nos. 1 and 3 practically seem to fix the date of 
No. 4 as some year in the latter half of the 8th century A.D. 
No. 5. Document. 
Belongs to M. 3. Size, 6| x 3J" ; an oblong slip, rather damaged on 
two sides, but otherwise apparently complete. Writing, in two columns, 
parallel to long side, in book-hand. Purport, apparently notice of certain 
articles, sent to a person called O-Ion. 
No. 6. Document. 
Belongs to M. 3. Fragment. Size, originally 4x4|", now 4x2§", 
a blank portion having been sent to Professor J. Wiesner of Yienna, to 
be tested. Writing, in one column, mutilated at top and bottom, in book- 
hand, but slightly cursive. Purport, apparently a receipt or order for 
certain goods. 
No. 7. Document. 
Belongs to M. 3, Size, 3J X 2|", a much torn fragment, apparently 
from the bottom of sheet, with remains of bottom of three columns 
of writing, in a somewhat cursive book-hand. Purport, apparently 
certificate of payment of grain-tax for military use. 
J. i. 4 
