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JOURNAL
OF
THE ASIATIC SOCIETY
BENGAL.
WER HE OB 0002000408240
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Sel 1 al
THE
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THE ASIATIC SOCIETY
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EDITED BY
AMOR S) PeRIN SEP; W..R 8:
SECRETARY OF THE ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL; HON. MEM. OF THE AS. SOC. OF PARIS ; COR. MEM. OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOC. OF LONDON, AND OF THE ROYAL SOCIETIES OF MARSEILLES AND CAEN; OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA ; OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF GENEVA ; OF THE ALBANY INSTITUTE, &c.
ee
VOL. VI.
JANUARY TO DECEMBER,
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‘6 Tt will flourish, if naturalists, chemists, antiquaries, philologers, and men of science, in different parts of Asia, will commit their observations to writing, and send them to the Asiatic Society at Calcutta; it will languish, if such communi- cations shall be long intermitted ; le away, if they shall entirely cease.’’
Sir Wn. JONES.
PRINTED AT THE BAPTIST MISSION PRESS CIRCULAR ROAD. SOLD BY THE EDITOR, AT THE SOCIETY'S OFFICE,
1837.
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THE
JOURNAL
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THE ASIATIC SOCIETY
OF
BENGAT. —o—
EDITED BY
JAMES “PE ENS EP, F. RS.
SECRETARY OF THE ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL ; HON. MEM. OF THE AS, SOc. OF PARIS; COR. MEM. OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOC, OF LONDON, AND OF THE ROYAL SOCIETIES OF MARSEILLES AND CAEN; OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA 3 OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF GENEVA; OF
THE ALBANY INSTITUTE, &C.
VOL. VI.—PART I.
JANUARY TO JUNE,
1S3%.
‘¢ It will flourish, if naturalists, chemists, antiquaries, philologers, and men of science, in different parts of Asia, will commit their observatioas to writing, and send them to the Asiatic Society at Calcutta ; it will languish, if such communi-
cations shall be long intermitted ; and will die away, if they shall entirely cease.”’ Sir Wo. Jongs.
Calcutta :
PRINTED AT THE BAPTIST MISSION PRESS, CIRCULAR ROAD. SOLD BY THE EDITOR, AT THE SOCIETY’S OFFICE.
1837.
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1 ae
PREFACE.
WE have the pleasure of closing this sixth volume of our Journal with an unexpected announcement :—the last steam packet has brought out instructions from the Honorable Court of Directors to the Government of India to ‘‘ subscribe in their name for Forty copies of the Journal of the Asiatic Society from the commencement of its publication !” We forbear to comment upon an act of liberality by which we shall personally be such a gainer, but which we have neither directly nor indi- rectly solicited. We can easily imagine to whose friendly infla- ence we are indebted for it, and we hope he will accept our ac- knowledgments. Our principal difficulty will be how to meet the wishes of the court ; for of our early volumes not a volume is now to be procured! We must seriously consider the expedi- ency of a reprint, for we have even heard it whispered that an American edition was in contemplation, and such a thing can- not be deemed impossible when we find the Philadelphians undertaking to rival us of Calcutta in printing (and that with- out government support) a Cochinchinese dictionary* !
Of local support we have lost nothing by the measure we re- luctantly adopted at the beginning of the year, of raising the price of the journal from one to one and a half rupee per num- ber. Our list is fuller than ever, and our balance sheet ofa much more promising aspect.
*M. P. Sr. Duponceau thus writes to M. Jacquer of Paris: “J'ai maintenant le plaisir de vous informer que la Société philosophique Ameri- caine vient d’ordonner I’ impression 4 ses frais dex deux vocabulaires donnés 4 Mr. Wuire par le R. de Morrong, ils vont étre publiés dans un volume des memoires de son comité d’ histoire et de literature, etant trop volumineux pour faire partie de ses Transactions philosophiques.
vi Preface.
PAYMENTS. RECEIPTS.
Rs. As. P. Rs. As. P. To balance due ist January, 1,304 2 11 |By collections this year, .. 3,455 2 8 To printer’s bills for 1836, pd.5,248 15 0 |Bydistribution to ae 1,293 0 0
To engravings and litho- bers of the As. Society, J graphs, oe ac -- 910 0 0 {By shop sales, a5 sc 280 13 6 To expence of circulation, 421 11 9 {By sales in England, 50 415 6 O To postage ditto, te 48 3 O/]Bybalancedue, .. -. 2,488 10 6 7,933 0 8 : 7,933 0 8
————
Bills for 1837 due say, .. 6,000 0 0 jCollections due by Asiatic Add former balance, -. 2,488 10 64 Soc. and subs. in the 7,139 7 5 ———— | three Presidencies,
The deficiency, supposing all to be recoverable, is 1,349 13 1, or almost precisely what it was last year; so that our present price exactly pays the expenses of publication.
The bulk of the volume has gone increasing at the usual rate, and instead of eight hundred pages, we have now risen to eleven hundred, with sixty plates ; too much to be conveniently bound up in one volume. We have therefore provided separate title pages to enable those, who so prefer, to divide the annual volume into two parts with an index, common to both, at the conclusion of the second part.
The prominent subject of public discussion (to imitate the order of preceding prefaces) as far as the Asiatic Society is concerned, has been THE MUSEUM,—the memorial to the local government—now under reference to the Court of Directors,— suggesting that the Society’s collection of antiquities and natura] history should form the nucleus of an extensive national esta- blishment, in the present day almost ‘an essential engine of education, instructive alike to the uninformed, who admires the wonders of nature through the eye alone, and to the refined student who seeks in these repositories what it would be quite out of his power to procure with his own means.” It is to be hoped that this appeal to the court will not share the fate of the oriental publication memorial of 1835, which is still unac- knowledged ; but that we shall soon have an answer embracing the united objects of the Society’s solicitude, and enabling her to advance boldly in her schemes to secure for herself, and for the British name the glory of placing ‘India physical, moral, and historical, upon the records of literature. What could be adduced asa more convincing ‘ argumentum’ (ad ignorantiam dare we say ?) than the fact that at this moment a French gen-
Preface. Vii
tleman of fortune well grounded in Sanskrit and other oriental studies at Paris, is come to Calcutta, ‘ about to retrace the steps of the French naturalists Duvaucen and JacauremontT in the interest of the antiquarian, as they travelled in that of the phy- sical sciences.’ He contemplates exploring Gaur, Patiliputra, Magadha, Mithila, Kasi, Ayudhya, Nipal, Kemaon,the Panjab Affyhanistan, Tibet ; then the Jain provinces, as they may be called, of Marwar and Malwa, and finally the cave antiquities of Western India*.
We wish M. THEROULDE every success, we proffer him every aid; yet we do sonot without a blush that any thing should be left for a foreigner to explore ! India, however, is large enough for us all to run over without jostling, and we cannot allow that inactivity is at the present moment a reproach against our Socie- ty or our governors. Wehaveexpeditionsin Cashmir, Sinde, Bho- tén, Ava, Maulmain, all well provided with scientific adjuncts, and contributing to our maps, our cabinets, and our commerce. Our Societies were never more vigorous. The Agricultural of Caleutta is become exceedingly active. The Geographical of Bombay has opened the field with an interesting volume and a journal of proceedings ; and in science we have to boast of the brilliant progress of experiment and magnetic discovery due to one whom we should be happy at having enlisted among our own members. With his colleagues of the Medical College,
* We cannot omit to notice here another laudable demonstration of the greater honor that awaits literary merit at Paris than in London—making full allowance for the proverbial truth that a prophet must seek honor out of his own country. We have just learnt that the French Government has ordered a gold medal to be struck for, and the decoration of the Legion of Honour to be bestowed on Mr. B. H. Hopeson, in return for the valuable donation of Sanskrit manuscripts presented by him to the Asiatic Society of Paris,—and in token of their appreciation of the great services he has rendered to oriental literature. Neither in this case is the reward blindly given, nor the present disregarded ; for we know that the Sanskrit scholars of Paris have already dipped profoundly into the contents of the Nipalese Buddhist volumes, and in a short time we may expect a full analysis of them. Asa comment on this announcement we may add that similar donations more extensive and more valuable were long since pre- sented by the same party to the Royal Asiatic Society and to the College of Fort William, and that (with exception of the Tibetan portion so well analysed by M. Csoma) they remain as yet sealed books.
Vill Preface.
Professor O’SHaucHNnessy has drawn off to their own valuable publication, the subjects of chemical and physical interest to which we should otherwise have felt ourselves blameable in not offering a conspicuous place. While far different occupations have prevented our passing in review the very promising disco- veries in this novel and enticing science, to which their public exhibition has now familiarized the society of Calcutta, the sight of models of magnetic motors and explosive engines worked by gas and spark, both generated by galvanism alone, leads us to suggestthat mechanics and the arts should have been includ- ed among the proper objects of our projected national museum. An Adelaide gallery would do more to improve the native mind for invention than all the English printed works we would place before them.
But we are as usual wandering from the legitimate objects of a preface. Our own attention has been principally taken up this last year with Inscriptions. Without the knowledge necessary to read and criticise them thoroughly, we have nevertheless made a fortunate acquisition in palzeography which has served as the key to a large series of ancient writings hitherto concealed from our knowledge. We cannot consent to quit the pursuit until we shall have satiated our curiosity by a scrutiny of all these records—records as Dr. Mixt says, ‘‘ which are all but certainly established to belong to and to illustrate a most clas- sical and important part of the history of this country.” In our hasty and undigested mode of publication, we are doubtless open to continual corrections and change of views: as a talented and amusing satire on our present predilection for old stones and old coins, in the Meerut Magazine describes it,—‘if not satisfied with one account our readers have only to wait for the next journal to find it discarded and another adopted, as in the ease of the Bactro-pehlevi alphabet.’
The learned M. E. Burnour in a most interesting article in- serted in the Journal des Savans for June,* says, alluding to the Burmese inscription at Gaya published first in the journal, and
* On thegrand work of the Chinese Buddhist traveller For Kove Kr, lately published at the expense of the French Government, through the labour of three successive editors MM. Remusat, Kuaprotu and Lanp-
russe. Alas! when shall we in India have an opportunity of seeing these works at any tolerable period after their publication ?>—Ep.
Preface. — ie
afterwards more completely commented upon by Colonel Bur- NeY,—* il faut le dired Phonneur des membres de la Société Asiatique du Bengale, le zele qui les anime pour l’etude des anti- quités del’ Inde est si soutenu et si heureusement secondé par la plus belle position dans laquelle une réunion de savants ne soit jamais trouvée, que les monuments et les textes quils mettent chaque jour enlumiéresesuccéedentavecunerapidité que la critique peut a peine suivre.” While they are taken up with an object once published, we are republishing or revising or adding more matured illustration to it. Some may call this system an in- convenient waste of space and tax on readers, who are entitled to have their repast served up in the most complete style at once, and should not be tantalized with fresh yet immature morceaux from month to month. We, however, think the plan adopted is most suitable to an ephemeral journal, which collects materials and builds up the best structure for immediate accommodation, although it may be soon destined to be knocked down again and replaced by a more polished and classical edifice :—dirwit edifi- cat ; mutat quadrata rotundis,—may still be said of our jour- nal, without imputing capricious motives to our habit of demoli- tion. We build not fanciful theories, but rather collect good stones for others to fashion, and unless we advertize them from the first, with some hint of their applicability, how should archi- tects be invited to inspect and convert them tothe “benefit and pleasure of mankind ?”—hitasukhaya manusinam,—as the stone pillars at Delhiand Allahabad quaintly express the object of their erection.
Connected with the subject of these remarks we would fain in this place give insertion (and we will do so hereafter) to a valuable series of criticisms on the matter of our last volume contained in M. Jacauer’s correspondence. It is just what we most desire. With the aid of an index, such additional information and correction is as good as if incorporated with the text, to the reader who in future days wishes to ferret out all that has been done on a particular subject ; and we would have all our contributors and readers bear in mind that our journal, though it has long changed iis title, does not pretend to have changed its original character of being a mere collection of ‘* Gleanings.”
Calcutta, 1st January, 1838.
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Nicolson, Capt. M. Jubbulpore.
Officers, 21st Regt. Kurnal.
, 12th Regt. N. I. Barrackpore. , 22nd Regt. N. I. Nusseerabad. Oglander, Lieut. Col. Ghazipore Ommaney, Lieut. E. L. Hazareebagh. —, M.C. Baitool.
Parental Academic Institution, Calcutta. Parker, H. M. Calcutta.
Persidh Narain Sing, Benares.
Playfair, Dr. Geo. Meerut,
Poole, Col. C. Calcutta.
Presgrave, Col. D. Cawnpore.
Prowell, N. H. E. Bignore.
Porteus, C. Calcutta.
—, A. Calcutta.
Povoleri, Col. L. Agra.
Rajkishtna Mukarjya, Hazareebagh. Ranken, Dr. J. Calcutta.
Rattray, R. H. Calcutta.
Renny, Lieut. T. Engrs. Sitapur. Ross, Capt. D. Gwalior.
Row, Dr. J. Barrackpore.
Reid, Dr. A. Boolundshuhr. Roberts, Col. A. Agra.
Sale, Lieut. T, H. Engrs. Sylhet.
XiV
Satchwell, Capt. J. Cawnpore.
Saunders, J. O. B. Allyghur.
Sevestre, Robt. Calcutta.
Siddons, ‘Lieut. H. Engrs. Chittagong.
Shaw, Tea. , Willis and Co.
Sleeman, Capt. W. H. care of Pres- grave and Co.
Sloane, W. care of Bruce, Shand & Co.
Smith, Col. T. P. Banda.
, Capt. E. J. Engrs. Allahabad.
, 5. and Co. Calcutta.
Spiers, A. care of Colvin and Co.
» Col. A. Neemuch.
Stainforth, T. care of T. Ostell.
Stevenson, Dr. W. care of Fraser, Mc- Donald and Co.
, Dr. W. Lucknow.
Sewell, Capt. Calcutta.
Sadyah Mission, Assam.
Tandy, H. Agra.
Subscribers.
Thomas, E. T. Almora. —
Thomson, Capt. J. Engrs. Calcutta.
, Capt. G. Engrs. Delhi.
Thoresby, Capt. C. Jeypore.
Thornton, J. Azimgurh.
Tickell, Col. R. Engrs. Calcutta.
Tremenhere, Lieut. G. B. Engrs. care of Bagshaw and Co.
Trotter, R. Kishnaghur.
Turner, T. J. Futteyghur.
Wells, F. O. Agra.
Western, Lieut. J. R. Engrs. Chundowry.
White, Rev. E. care of Turner, Stopford and Co.
Wilkinson, L. Bhopal.
-——., Captain T. Hazareebagh.
Wise, J. P. Dacca.
——, Dr. T. A. care of T. Ostell.
Woodburn, Dr. D. Sheerghattee.
Wroughton, Capt. Muttra.
Subscribers at Madras, &c.
Baikie, Dr. Neelgherries. Balfour, Lieut. Madras. Bannister, Dr. W. ditto. Braddock, Lieut. J. ditto.
Caldewell, John, Trevendrum.
Cullen, Col. W. ditto.
Campbell Lieut. J. 21st Regt. N. I. Mad- ras.
Ditmas, Lieut T. Combaconum. Derville, Major, Madras.
Fleming, H. S. Madras. Fraser, Col. J. S. ditto. Frith, Lieut. Col. Arty. ditto.
Gantz, Rev. A. ditto.
Gilchrist, Dr. W. Vizianagram.
Hyderabad Book Society. Harper, Rev. H.
Madras Asiatic Society.
Madras Club, Madras.
Monteith, Lieut. Col. Engrs. ditto. Mouat, Dr. J. Bangalore.
Pharoah, J. O. B. Madras.
Robert, Digby, 36th Regt. N. I. ditto.
Thomson, J. care of Line and Co. ditto. Taylor, T. I., H. C. Astronomer, ditto.
Underwood, Capt. G. A. Engrs.
Subscribers at Bombay, &c.
Awdry, Sir J. Bombay.
Bombay Asiatic Society, ditto. Burns, Dr. A. Kaira.
Chambers, R. C. Surat.
Jervis, Capt. Thos. Ootacamund. Fulljames, Capt. Goga.
McLennan, Dr. J. Bombay.
Noton, B. ditto.
Pottinger, Col. Bhooj.
Rugghonauth Hurry Chundjee, Bombay, Shrecrostra Wassoodewjee, ditto. Smyttan, Dr. Geo. ditto,
Borradaile, H. care of Ritchie, Stewart Shortreede, Lieut. R. Poona.
and Co. Heddle, Dr. F. Bombay. Hebbert, Lieut. G. W. Surat. Law, J. S. Belgaum. Malvery, J. J. Bombay. Moorhead, C. Mohabaleshur Hills.
Stewart, G. A. Bombay. Sutherland, Hon’ble J. ditto. Twemlow, Capt. G. Aurungabad. Wathen, W. H. Bombay. Wilson, Rev. J. ditto. Stevenson, Rev. Dr. ditto.
XV
Periodical Publications with which the Journal is interchanged.
The Philosophical Magazine of London and Edinburgh.
Prof. Jameson’s Annals of Philosophy.
The Atheneum.
The London Asiatic Journal, W. H. Allen and Co.
Journal Asiatique de Paris.
Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
The Chinese Repository.
Dr. Coles’s Quarterly Journal of the Madras Auxiliary Asiatic Society. The Monthly Journal, edited by S. Smith and Co.
The United Service Journal, edited by J. H. Stocqueler, Esq.
The Calcutta Christian Observer. The Bombay Oriental Christian Spectator.
oe
The Asiatic Society subscribes for 12 copies of the Journal, of which 10 copies are distributed to the following Societies.
The Royal Society of London. The Royal Society of Edinburgh. The Antiquarian Society. The Zoological Society, ditto. The Royal Asiatic Society. The Geological Society, ditto. The Asiatic Society of Paris. The American Literary Society.
The Natural History Society of Mauritius. The Literary Society of Batavia.
Presentation Copies by the Editor.
Sir J. W. Herschell, Cape of Good Hope.
The Right Hon'ble Sir R. W. Horton, Governor of Ceylon. C. Masson, Esq. Kabul.
The Sadiya Mission.
C. Brownlow, Esq.
Dr. Harlan, Philadelphia.
Eug. Burnouf, Esq.
Eug. Jacquet, Esq.
The University of Bonn (Proff. Schlegel and Lassen.)
The Baron von Hammer, Purgstall, Vienna,
V. Lair, Esq. Secretary to the Caen Society.
Professor H. H. Wilson, Librarian to the Hon’ble E. I. Company.
The British Museum. The Academy of Bordeaux. ‘The Royal Institution. The Medical and Physical Society, Cal. The Society of Arts. The Agri. and Horticultural Society,
The Natural History Society of Geneva. Calcutta.
Subscribers in England.
[No correct list of the English subscribers can be given, as their names are not specified in the Agent’s accounts of distribution. ]
Sir Charles Grey. Miss Prinsep. G. Swinton, Esq. Prof. Macaire. Prof. J. F. Royle. Dr. Swiney.
W. Wilson Saunders, Esq. Lieut. Burt, Eng.
he phan ebay ca se adi: ats ba Ge a
Chor SS Pigg ae te te te dA bh oy de oe Se < Br hay os. E-
eo bell nae i
ie ot ” s 7 ms iN, ¥
‘ae seh wedi «gee ee ee tac, page hora + 4 oe Se ore Phas aes, R tis fee: Asks Cy te 7 fea a fi Re ec ie 7a one. has Temes! ;
* she a eo ae. a Sy ‘ "gt Kp wher : aN Birds
Hagvin ey , i is eB: |S catty Gra St ese? 8 a0 » Me ; a Epes | Te RL aa ire ie
CONTENTS.
No. 61.—JANUARY. Page
{.—Restoration and Translation of the Inscription on the Bhitari Lat, with critical and historical remarks. By the Rev. W. H. Mill, D. D., Principal of Bishop’s College, Vice-President, &c. &c. as se
IiI.—Alphabets of the Tai language. By the Rev. N. rowhh Missionary in Assam, .. a ae ae p
1II.—Remarks on ‘ee Silkworms and Silks of Assam. By Mr. Thomas Biton: Sub-Asst. Nowgong, 30 ais
TV.—On the indigenous Silkworms‘of India. By T. W. aren, M. D. Mem- ber of the Medical Faculties at the Universities in Prague and Pavia, Mem- ber of the Entom. Society in Paris, &c. He sc tt
V.—Concerning certain interesting Phenomena manifested in individuals born blind, and in those having little or no recollection of that sense, on their being restored to sight at various periods of life. By F. H. Brett, Esq. Med. Service, oA ar a6
VI.—™Memorandum of the progress “of inking a Well in the mune of Cuaiagde! near the foot of the Hills. By Mr. William Dawe, Conductor, Delhi Canal Department, “5 : Se a0
VII.—The History of Labong for the Native Beco consulted by Dr. D. Richardson, forming an Appendix to his journals published in the preced- ing volume, St ee os
VIII.—Suggestions on the Sites of Steen and se Altars of Alexander, hele an extract from Notes of a Journey from Lahore to Karychee, made in 1830. By C. Masson, a, si ais S5
1X.—Chinese Account of India. Translated from the Wan-héen-t’hung-kaou, or ‘ Deep Researches into Ancient Monuments ;’ by Ma-twanlin ; book
338, fol. 14, .. DC sie ee ne X.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Siciete, Ar sc ce XI.—Meteorological Register, .. s. i Se 35 ee ale
No. 62.—FEBRUARY.
I,—Singular narrative of the Armenian king Arsaces and his contemporary Sapor, king of Persia; extracted from the Armenian chronicles. By Johannes Avdall, Esq. M. ALS... x0 3¢ SE
1J,—Translation of an Inscription on a stone in the Asiatic Society? s Museum, marked No. 2. By Captain G. T. Marshall, Examiner in the College of Fort William, .. : os
iiI.—On the explanation of the aid? Seythic legends of the Baberiais Coins,
through the medium of the Celtic. By Dr. J. Swiney, .. P
1V.—On three new Genera or sub-Genera of long-legged Thrushes, with ‘tee scriptions of their species. By. B. H. Hodgson, Esq. ee ;
V.—Description of three new species of Woodpecker. By B. H. Rladeaan, Esq. .. Sc ate ah of
Vi.—Indication of a new Genus of Incessorial Birds. By B. H. Hodgson Esq. ee ee oe si
VIil.—Nest of the Bengal Vulture, (Vultur Bengalensis ;) with Spndeetlintae on the power of scent ascribed to the Vulture tribe. By Lieut. J. Hutton, ..
17
38
47
52
55
57
61 717 80
81
112
XVill Contents.
Page VIII.—Notes taken at the post-mortem examination of a Musk Deer. By A. ‘ Campbell, Esq., Nipal Residency, June 24, 1834, .. -- 118 1X.—Some account of the Wars between Burmah and China, focether with the journals and routes of three different Embassies sent to Pekin by the king of Ava; taken from Burmese documents. By Lieutenant-Colonel H. Burney, Resident in Ava, .. oe oe ae -. 121 X.—Notice on Balantium, agenus of the Pteropodous Mollusca ; 4 with the cha- racters of a new species inhabiting the Southern Indian Ocean. By W. H. Benson, Esq. B.C. 8S. .. . 6 ie se ag EO XI.—Additional fragments of the Sionehetine as é av ss Loe XII.—Note on the Hotspring of Lohand Khad. By Capt. C. M. Wade,.. .. 153 XIII.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, .. .. dc a6 ot «w. 154 XIV.—Meteorological Register, .. 58 Cor eto BOOM) Goworwlod) Gao oo LEO
No. 63.—MARCH.
I,—Remarks on M. Schlegel’s objections to the restored editions of the Alif Leilah, or Arabian Nights’ Entertainments. By Henry Torrens, Esq. B. A, and of the Inner Temple, B.C. S. be - 161 1I.—Journal of Captain C. M. Wade’s voyage from Lodiana to Mithankot Sy the river Satlaj, on his Mission to Lahdér and Bahawalpur in 1832-33. By
Lieut. F. Mackeson, 14th Regt. N.I. .. e; be -- 169 IJ].—Facsimiles of Ancient Inscriptions, .. 60 ae we218 I1V.—Note on a Specimen of the Bos Gaurus. By Dr. George Evans, Curator
of the Medical College, os oo 7223 V.—Memorandum on the Gaur AnH ih ‘Bt Assistant Surgeon J. T. Pearson,
Cur. Mus. Asiatic Society, . So ae 228 VI.—On a new Genus of the Sylviade, “with dedeipith of three new Species.
By B. H. Hodgson, Esq. Resident in Nipal, ee Sc . 230
VII.—Note on the occurrence of Fossil Bones in the Sewalik Range, datweea of Hardwar. By H. Falconer, M. D., Superintendent Botanical Garden,
Seharanpur, - oe - 233 VIti.—Report progress ne the Boring Byperiment f in Fort William. By Major
T. M. Taylor, 5th Cav. ee 45 ac “ic .. 234 IX.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, oe sic Sree) X.—Meteorological Register, AG 50 ac «. 245
No. 64.—APRIL.
1.—Abstract of the Journal of a Route travelled by Capt. S. F. Hannay, of the 40th Regiment Native Infantry, from the Capital of Ava to the Amber Mines of the Hikong valley on the South-east frontier of Assam. By
Capt. R. Boileau Pemberton, 44th Regt. N. I. be a6 -. 245 -IJ.—Facsimiles of Ancient Inscriptions. By Jas. Prinsep, Sec. &c. eS I11.—Specimens of Hindu Coins descended from the Parthian type, and of the
Ancient Coins of Ceylon. By James Prinsep, Sec. As. Soc. ‘6 -. 288 IV.—Cn the Revolution of the Seasons, (continued from Vol. IV. p. 257.)
By the Rev. R. Everest, Ne ar ar -- 303 V.—On the Climate of Darjiling, us ae «. 308 VI.—Note on the Genera Oxygyrus and Bellefophun: By W. H. Benson, Esq.
B.C.S. . a0 ae op ols VII.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 40 be ae eoly
VILI.—Meteorological Register, he 3b ae oe 324
Contents. xix
No. 65.—MAY. Page I.—Journal of a visit to the Mishmee hills in Assam. By Wm Griffith, M.D. Madras Medical Establishment, 325
II.—Corrected Estimate of the risk of life to Civil Servants of the Bengll ite sidency. By H. T. Prinsep, Esq. Sec. to Govt. &c. ste -» 341
IIlI.—A Grammar of the Sindhi language, dedicated to the Right Honorable
Sir Robert Grant, Governor of Bombay. By W. H. Wathen, Esq. Be GL IV.—On additional fossil species of the order Quadrumana from the Sewalik
Hills. By H. Falconer, M. D. and Captain P. T. Cautley, ar +. 354 V.—On some new Genera of Raptores, with remarks on the old genera. By
B. H. Hodgson, Esq. ate n 0 -- Jol VI.—Observations of the Magnetic Dip and 1neehaty ne Madras. By T,G.
Taylor, Esq. H. C. Astronomer, -. 374 VII.—The Legends of the Saurashtra group of bite abuibhered: By James
Prinsep, Sec. As. Soc. “2 a a ce swelizd VII.—On the Properties ascribed in Native medical works to the Acacia re a-
bica. By Lewis Da Costa, Esq. He as Sr -. 392 1X.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, °- do -. 397 X.—Meteorological Register, sie oe ae ». 404
No. 66.—JUNE, I.—Some account of the Wars between Burmah and China, together with the journals and routes of three different Embassies sent to Pekin by the king of Ava: taken from Burmese documents. By Lieutenant-Colonel H, Bur- ney, Resident in Ava, se Ac +. 405 1I.—Note on the Facsimiles of idacuaman poe Sanchi near Bhilsa, taken for the Society by Captain Ed. Smith, Engineers ; and on the drawings of the Buddhist monument presented by Captain W. Murray, at the meeting of the 7th June. By James Prinsep, Sec. As. Soc. sia ». 451 IIlI.—Notice of a Colossal Alto-Relievo, known by the name of Mata Koonr situated near Kussia Tannah, in Pergunnah Sidowa, Eastern Division of Gorakhpur District. By D. Liston, Esq. a ae «2 477 1V.—Translation of one of the Granthas, or sacred books, of the Dadupanthi Sect. By Lieut. G. R. Siddons, 1st Light Cay., Second in command, 3rd Local Horse, Neemuch, ‘ ee - 460 V.—Notice of new Sites of Fossil fence in the Nerbadds Valley. By Dr. G G. Spilsbury. Pl. XXX. ate ata aA -. 487 VI.—New species of Scolopacide, Indian Snipes,
ie ee o. 489 VII.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, a4 a +» 490 VIIIl.—Meteorological Register, Se oe 4c eee) 18)
No. 67.—JULY. I,—An Examination of the Péli Buddhistical Annals, By the Hon’ble George Turnour, Esq. of the Ceylon Civil Service, os 3 2. 601 II. ~On the ‘‘ Indian Boa,’”’ ‘* Python Tigris.’’ By Lieut. T. Hatton: Bie) O26 I11.—Notice of a skull (fragment) of a gigantic fossil Batrachian. By Dr. T Cantor, Ae ee 5 IGE TV.—Some account of the Wars between essa and China, together with the journals and routes of three different Embassies sent to Pekin by the King of Ava: taken from Burmese documents. By Lieutenant-Colonel H. Burney, Resident in Ava, are ae .. 542 V.—On a new genus of the Plantigrades. By B, H. Hodgson, Esq. -. 560
xx Contents.
Page VI.—Interpretation of the most ancient of the inscriptions on the pillar called the 14t of Feroz Shah, near Delhi, and of the Allahabad, Radhia and Mat- tiah pillar, or lat, inseriptions which agree therewith. By James Prinsep,
Sec. As. Soc. &c. ate -- 566 VII.—Abstract of a Meteorological Register nastlh at the Cashanaean Residency
for 1837. By A. Campbell, Esq. M. D. Nipal Residency, 3 -- 610 VIII.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, a he «. G12
1X.—Miscellaneous : 5 1.—Proportion of rain for different lunar periods at Kandy, Island of
Ceylon, =5 . 618 2.—Memorandum of fis fall of the jn reste at niaee during the severe Hurricane, on the 5th and 6th August, 1835, BS s- ». 619 3.—Award of medals by the Geological Society of London, cae Br ee X.—Meteorological Register, ae a6 ae ». 620
No. 68.—AUGUST.
I.—History of the Gurha Mundala Rajas. By Captain W. H. Sleeman, Com- missioner for the suppression of Thuggee in the Nerbudda provinces, sa. 621
II.—Account of the Ruins and Site of old Mandaviin Raepur, and legend of Vikramaditya’s Sonin Cutch. By Lieut. W. Postans, Bombay Engineers, 648
III.—Catalogue of Geological Specimens from Kemaon presented to the Asia-
tic Society. By Dr. J. McClelland, *. 653 IV-—Facsimiles of Ancient Inscriptions, ttthograplied by Fainies” Prinsep, Sec.
As. Soc. &c. ae OS V.—Note on the Primary language of the Buddhist writings. By B. H. Hodg-
son, Esq. Resident in Nipal, ts : ao -- 652 V!,—Geometric Tortoises, ‘‘ Testudo Geometrica.’’ By Lieut. T. Hutton, 37th
Native Infantry, : or -. 689
Vil. —Barometrical etvatiind taken on a journey from Katmandhu to Go- sainsthéan, a ‘place of pilgrimage in the mountains of Nipal, by Chhedi Lohar, a smith in the employ of Captain Robinson, late commanding the
Escort of the Resident in Nipal, ah 696 VI1I.—Meteorological Register kept at Darjiling for the months of ‘ae May,
June, and July, 1837. By Dr. H. Chapman, jp ai -. 700 1X.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Sccicty, 5 36 sic -. 704 X.—Tribute of the Pandits to the Rev. Dr. Mare. ae 30 -» 710 X1.—Meteorological Register, ate ate ate aa gal
No. 69.—SEPTEM BER. I.—An examination of the Pali Buddhistical Annals, No. 2. a the Hon’ble 4 George Turnour, Esq. Ceylon Civil Service, .. .. ss are! 7S II.—Note on the Geography cf Cochin China, by the Right Rev. Fhe Tonks, Bishop of Isauropolis, Vicar Apostolic of Cochin China, Hon, Mem.
As. Soc. oe f Rome 7/3 Il11.—On the Bibos, Gauri Gan or Gaurikés Ga of the indian forests. By B. H. Hodgson, Esq. Resident in Nepal, ce Sol ks
1V.—Extracts translated from the Granthas or sacred novice of the ‘Dadupanthé Sect. By Lieutenant G. R. Siddons, 1st Light Cavalry, Second in com- mand, 3rd Local Horse, Neemuch, Ps sts bo vist)
V.—History of the Rajas of Orissa, from the reign of Réja Yudhistira, trans- lated from the Vansayali. By the late Andrew Stirling, Esq. C. S. -» 756
Contents. XXI
Page Vi.—Some account of the valley of Kashmir, Ghazni, and K4bul; ina letter from G. J. Vigne, Esq. dated Bunderpore, on the Wuler lake, Kashmir,
June 16, 1837, sts -. 766 VII.—Account of an Inscription found iy Mr. H, ‘s. Banlderdoas in sitho Neigh- bourhood of Bareilly. By James Prinsep, Sec. &c. 3. eae ify]
VIII.—Section of the strata passed through in an experimental Hering at the town of Gogah, on the Gujerat peninsula, Gulphof Cambay. By Lieute-
nant George Fulljames, ‘ ee ee -- 786 IX.—Note on the black and lacie Floriken of gale By Lieutenant
George Fulljames, = nic os Ard -- 789 X.—Further elucidation of the lat or Silasthambha inscriptions from various
sources. By James Prinsep, Sec. As. Soc. sie oe ee ». 790 XI.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, a oe ee os ee 497 X1I.—Meteorological Register, 46 A ee -» 804
No. 70.—OCTOBER.
I.—Extracts from the Mohit, (the Ocean,) a Turkish work on Navigation in the Indian Seas. Translated and communicated by Joseph Von Hammer, Baron Purgstall, Aulic Counsellor, and Prof. Orient. Lang. at Vienna,
Hon. Memb. As. Soc. &c. &e. .. es s we) S05 II.—Observations upon the past and present condition of ‘Oujein or Ujjayani. By Lieutenant Edward Conolly, 6th Light Cavalry, oe plot gie=tor MOUS
I1I.—Account of the Tooth relic of Ceylon, supposed to be atiated to in the opening passage of the Feroz lat inscription. By the Hon’ble George Tur-
nour, Esq. Ceylon Civil Service, .. 4 Sie Be 5. 856 IV.—Facsimiles of ancient inscriptions, lithographed by James Prinsep, Sec.
As. Soc. &c. &c. me cc = 3 ote -. 869 V.—Meteorological Register kept at Darjiling for Abadest; 1837. By Dr. H.
Chapman, 53 -. 888
VI.—Abstract of Bieter reineival Teamiotes kept at the Cathmanda, Residency for July and August, 1837. By A. Campbell, Esq. ie Residency, .. .. 889
VII.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, .. : no -- 890
VIII.—Meteorological Register, aNcacr 4noe voce «- 900
No. 71.—NOVEMBER.
I,—Journal of a Trip to the Burenda Pass in 1836. By Lieut. Thomas Hut- ton, 37th Regiment, Native Infantry, ee oe - 901 Ii.—Discovery of the Rekha Ganita, a translation of the Elements of Euclid into Sanskrit by Samrat Jagannatha, under the orders of Raja Siw4i Jaya Sinha of Jaipur. By Lancelot Wilkinson, Esq. C. S. Resident at Bhopal, 938 III.—Observations of the Tides at Chittagong made in conformity with the Circular of the Asiatic Society. By Lieut. H. Siddons, Engineers, -» 949 1V.—Translation of a Servitude-Bond granted by a Cultivator over his Fami- ly, and of a Deed of Sale of two slaves. By D. Liston, Esq. Gorakhpur,.. 950 V.—Note on the Malay Woodpecker. By Dr. William Bland, Surgeon of H.M. S. Wolf, od : oe se 952 VI.—Notes on the Musical insteoacnts and motediicen and other Rusted ments of the Nipalese. By A. Campbell, Esq. M. D. Surgeon attached to the Residency at Katmandhu, ae 5 «- 653 VII.—Note on the Facsimiles of the various Teeriiida'a on the aden column at Allahabad, retaken by Captain Edward Smith, Engineers. By James Prinsep, Sec. As. Soc, &c. &e. oe AE vs -» 963
XXL Contents.
Page VIII.—Interpretation of the Ahom extract published as Plate IV. of the January number of the present volume. By Major F. Jenkins, Commis-
sioner in Assam, Ss “ oe co se -. 980 IX.— Proceedings of the Asiatic Speier. 50 oe ee +» 984 X.—Meteorological Register, 0 ale se ao “fe -. 988
No. 72.—DECEMBER.
I.—Abstract Journal of an Expedition to Kiang Hung on the Chinese Frontier starting from Moulmein on the 13th December, 1836. By Lieut. T. E. MacLeod, Assistant to the Commissioner of the Tenasserim Provinces, with a route map, ste . «. 989
II.—Abstract Journal of an expedition era Moghacin to Ava through the Kareen country, between December 1836 and June 1837. By D. Richardson,
Esq. Surgeon to the Commissioner of the Tenasserim Provinces, -. 1005 11I.—Comparison of Indo-Chinese Languages by the Rev. N. Brown, American Missionary stationed at Sadiya at the north-eastern extremity of Assam,.. 1023
IV.—Specimens of Buddhist Inscriptions,with symbols, from the west of India,
By Colonel W. H. Sykes, Hon. Mem., As. Soc. ae r -- 1038
V.—Further notes on the inscriptions onthe columns at Delhi, ‘Makoto, Betiah, &c. By the Hon’ble George Turnour, Esq. of the Ceylon Civil Service, as 50 aie : 50 -. 1049
VI.—Account and drawing of two Burmese Bells now lanes in a Hindu temple in Upper India. By Capt. R. Wroughton, Revenue Surveyor, Agradivision, 1064
VII.—Note on Inscription at Udayagiri and Khandgiri in Cuttack, in the lat
character. By Jas. Prinsep, Sec. As. Soc. &c. as ale LOP2 VIII.—Memorandum regarding specimens from Seoni Ghapanss Pi. LVI.
By D. W. McLeod, Esq. : a oe ee -- 1091 1X.—Proceedings of the Asiatic Soeiete et re 5a Ae -» 1092
X.— Meteorological Register, se 5c ae aA -- 1100
ERRATA.
IN No. 26, (vou. II.) or THE JOURNAL.
89, 26, for ‘the first specimens,’ read ‘ the finest.’ 93, 29, read ‘No. 17 Lymnea,.... (mihi)—limosa ?’ 523, 2, for ‘knee,’ read ‘ neck.’ IN THE JOURNAL FOR 1836. 733, 7, from bottom, read ‘granular matter, the fovilla, and bursts if the im- mersion is somewhat protracted.’ 812, 21, dele the proposed name Cyananthus, which is already appropriated in Dr. WALyrcu’s catalogue. 829, 3, from pottom, for ‘ interesting,’ read ‘ intimate.’
Page line
348, 6, after ‘ to this’ insert ‘ day.’
350, 44, for ‘2,3. Hunda,’ read ‘ 2, Hunda.’
377, 3, from below, for ‘ a,’ read ‘ an.’
384, 9, from below, for ‘ general,’ read ‘ generic.’ 386, 22, after written insert semicolon.
387, 4, from below, foré us 2 read ¢ 29900”
392, 4, for ‘ unexpected,’ read ‘ unsuspected.’ 391, 12, for‘ Denavagri,’ read ‘ Devanagari.’
460, 35, for EL a read Biles 467, 19, for ‘ Parthia,’ read ‘ Bactria.’ 468, 21, for ‘ the Sanchi,’ ead ‘ at Sanchi.’
The vowel mark e has been broken off under the press in a great many passages of the Sanskrit readings of the Delhi inscription in the July number, particularly in the word mé.
581, 7, after ‘ by,’ insert ‘ the.’
583, 5, of notes, for ‘ nimitat,’ read ‘ nimita.’
584, 12, ditto dele‘ m’ after ‘ esa.’
585, 9, ditto for ‘ june,’ read ‘ jane.’
—— 20, ditto for ‘ participlelar,’ read ‘ participular.’
594, 25, ditto for ‘ adopting,’ read ‘ adapting.’
695, 12, ditto for ‘ nacshatras,’ read ‘ nacshatric.’
603, 11, ditto for ‘ dhara,’ read ‘ adhara.’ 604, 4, ditto for ‘ neat,’ read ‘ next.’ 608, 6, ditto for ‘ you,’ read ‘ thou.’ —19, ditto for ‘ Kahgur,’ read ‘ Kahgyur.’
676, 7, for ‘this powerful,’ read ‘ his powerful,’
— 3, from below, for ‘ ayantaliyam,’ read ‘ anantaliyam.’ 766, 29, for ‘24° 134,’ read ‘ 24 miles: 133.’
779, 2, and 5, for ‘ is,’ read ‘ are.’
791, 8, for ‘Chadaguttassa,’ read ‘ Chandaguttassa.’ — 17, for ‘leases,’ read ‘ leaves.’
794, 7, after quarter, insert full point.
— 3, from bottom, for ‘very,’ read ‘ verb.’
795, 30, for ‘ papey,’ read ‘ paper.’
— last line, for‘ qa@’ read‘ qe,’
87 1 ‘ rie s 2 read ¢ \<{%} ».%? and in the transla- 76, ’ Sor hkl (x2 eiate SS) (92 Ot - ;
oo tion, line 14, for ‘wap,’ read ‘ WALD,’ (or WALR,) and for ‘ Monday,’ read ‘ Tuesday.’
884, 7, for * qarfx,’ reads faarfc.’ 13, for * BTAraceyy,” reed * TAT ATRY.’ 19, for « Faratfy,’ read « fargnfe.’ 976, 3, for ‘ aRa,’ read ‘ aRS.’ 4, for « wa, read <« <1. 6, for * qat,’ read « aa.’ 13, for afeatiaaaal, read « meanaaaar.’ 977, 18, for « areaqcur,’ read « aac.’ 942, [The extract from the Rekha Ganita differs very materially from the copy in the College here, and the following passage in page 944, after the word wafa in line 7 is required to complete the explanation of the figure:
afetuafaat: tajicaty dacafyaia wafa gare aac The rest are additions to the preface which it is less necessary to correct. ]
a ri
Pie ; i
ea au a We Area Y
Ph ahek oe gah hus 2 Sool ai atl egiccebeta ovine y 337 Rab ie: ay gta ay ha
piacere
i hee i
Pipa Pad reente Spa ae ine Siemon gamenitiey Een 1 lode 6d emanpa dies sili’ roe i) Fesinahinlaathihia é
Dah, ;
iy if By e
Cru a ae a '
‘ tb Nae Une esh et ' Ao tuner
i at a Aye yh, We Sn A bik CAD as oti 1 as
a et
LIST OF PLATES.
Plate I. (XXXII. of vol. V.) Bhitari Lat Beat eck to face page 1 Il. Alphabets of the Tai language, ..........scsscessscessseeeseees 19 III. Specimen of the Khamti writing, ........... ccescccsssereeseee 20 IV. Specimen of the Ahom language,..... ....ccsccsecececercseeee tbidew V. The Eria silkworm of Assam, Piestsifa dguthea, piers wavewee ee VI. The Moonga silkworm of ditto, Saturnia Assamensii,...... 30 VII. Facsimiles of an inscription in the Asiatic Society’s
Museum, translated by Captain Marshall, ........... Pave Pe MEMS. sh As 89 VIII. Occiput of the Sivatherium, ....0....sccscccssecncosesesevcsease 152
IX. Lower jaw of the same fossil ansingly: Dre AMEE RO 6. otuton 152
X. Inscription of Dipaldinna at Amardvati, .............ceseceee 218
XI. Another inscription from the same place, ..............ss60086 222 XII. Fossil shells of the Chéri range in Cutch, ........sssceeeeeneee 159 XIIf. Alphabet of the Amardvati character, ...........ss.seeseeee8 222
XIV. XV. Indo-Sassanian Coins, ....... eg besactonsecanstesd ooOS XVI. Head of the Bos Gaurus (?) or eats seetastieswee tees) ae XVII. Facsimile of Museum Inscription, No. 6, eee 280
XVIII. Fossil bone brought up in the boring in ee William ;
head of the Bos Gaurus (museum) ; and fossil quadrumanous tooth,... 236 moi. Map of Captain Hannay’s route, ..c....0cscccssenccaricoeceesce 245 XX. Ceylon Coins, ........ .. oe tee ccnececevccereessceescsece vo 298
XXI. Diagram of moon’s geebeation ; polaber mycterizans, and fossil bone from Fort boring, ....... No Wasisrelsbaneasactneeceeoeioiesee Ok XXII. Sindhi and Multani diphabecsy. wesisedasviaansaeninaeedseciessa econ tay 352 XXIII. Fossil Qaudrumana of the Sewéliks, ............scscsesecseeees 360 XXIV. Legends on Saurashtra coins, <2... sereceseescccesccsscvesecceres 382 XXV. Principal Inscription at Sanchi, ..........cccsescssovecsscoeceees 454 XXVI. Second Inscription from the same place,. ...... .s.csseeceeeee 458 XXVII. Various smaller ditto in the Lat character, ..........00.0000. 460 Pea Vill: View of the Samchi Monument, 1... ..:c.ccccercs ove cocescosss 462 XXIX. Details of the Architecture of ditto, ........sccccscccesceccsces 452 XXX. Fossil fore-leg of an elephant from Jabalpur, ................ 488
XXXI. Head of a fossil Batrachian, .......... as sreeiaseieh eds) AO XXXII. Inscription in Hala eee, ad. a Kalinjer ieeariniticin, senstas 665 XXXIII. Gumsar copper-plate Grant, snccaataaluwlcbsmentevhiae asm nesanees HOG XXXIV. r ny ( 672 XXXV. (Inscriptions from the Caves near Gaya, ...seecsseseerer< 676 aXXvVI. § °V 676
XXV1
XXXVIT.
XXXVIII.
List of Plates.
Inscription on a fragment of rock at Singapur, The Testudo geometrica,... sdeccPo: Osteology of the Bibos, or Gane Gan:
Restoration of the Allahabad pillar, .. ....ssseeccersseee eeeee
Bareilly inscription, .s..6...0ccedscoseccscsessssceseseee Delhi lat inscription, “Beene Town of Oujein, and atatenalace. Facsimile of Multai copper-plate Grant, Ditto of Epitaph on an Arabic tombstone, Ditto of an Inscription from Cabul,
Sketch of the Khaiber Tope, ..... .....
Inscription in As. Soc. Museum, from Calne
eececeesoves
Map of Capt. McLeod’s route to Zimmay, .......06 seeeeoeee Diagrams of the Rekhé Ganita, .. .... 0 ....cscseeseseeccseeeres
Burmese Bells, ...... .....+.
Map to illustrate geology a Sbonii Jabiliptiel vicdaaieaee ade
Inscriptions from the Sainhadri caves,
Udayagiri Inscriptions, ........ cha deeeeec ose
Inscription No. 2 of the Allahabba sill fi i BOREAS eter Various fragments Of ditto,..........ccssscvesessseccesseceeees
Inscription on the Khandgiri tHe aise ee hets
:
be wey
eS ae
Journ. As. Soe. ; Vat Heal
cc | Inseriplion on thc BHITARI LAT.H on See Ghatifpur aAéstricl.
see Plate XXX fo elcva
eM ATES Re YOMUMATINZ ALZINOSAZA eee EYP “yag ul ersseunaaF MIs ALYY LT) RLAIMIAY HES Ty us ve, UTE FUCHS UA, UETREHIIAM UAW 22 Roefuray 2s EU UA 28 UAPECTEANUZLTWAS WAAAY LAME ZS SALTY EAS UL BRIO UIRTHAFULTEIE ASSN YAS URAL LAL F UBZHZATBUARUIS
| (pecQunredr ES*ueyayysy” ANS UAURANS WANA Ls LYAUA suum:
| UFEMAGULAH UBS cus HOAUR NRahy | NHRPUML QUAY EATS ARYY | WAALS IAL ADT FLU UAY BAAR WAV T al AMA Raul | ale AAP U ws UY AZS UAenZY AaigQu Tas u WRB LaYSe 1uy¥ye Roan ng RoqueguRar 4 ka al 4 EE PA By % AA rUpeusydyg a Fay, OLY | He FNEERINA RT AUDI UPR aAAUlIsMNTY ULE ANA YTUR UT, AY? BAuTs1z71 AUER DU AUNT AMA UTA see usu guaeany | AYqegut zene wawruskaul gra rinyay HATAFYZATM SY le : LET, 334 BUR TpU MAPAUABAIAR RIRBUF ALA, F GRLOAN ASRS, | TAAZAT TIARA SLINAUL ULL Y AY AUP ANUAZS THFUA LUAPAY, FAUNAS, WQUrsr EIGAUIN TEGO UALR GL ARIS AANGWTEGR: te he SMUYSMUAYEZM MUL” ZULALALAR LAST Ar 2
DAP e | WNSAlE EEG TER 3 Busnynyaqure Huy yx BIN war y AUS, ely
AAAAAA MANUAL? SIU MRS ZN YG Ug eu yas TR YI
Lt.A. Cunningham des. A Prinses lth;
Actual size of the sculplured LeL£ers.
| Aue
Printed atthe orventab Lith’ Press. Celeutta
JOURNAL
OF
THE ASIATIC SOCIETY. No. hake Mee vieey: 1837.
I.—Restoration and Translation of the Inscription on the Bhitdéri Lat, with critical and historical remarks. By the Rev. W. H. Mut, D. D., Principal of Bishop’s College, Vice-President, &c. &c.
The discovery in the Ghazipur district, of a pillar with an inscrip- tion bearing the same royal names and genealogy as No. 2 on that of Allahabad, and continuing the series downward by three or four generations from SamupRA-GuprA, the principal subject of panegyric in both, might be expected to furnish valuable supplementary infor- mation on points which that monument left in obscurity. What was the seat and extent of the empire of this Gupta dynasty, and what was the precise place which the acts and events there described bore in the general history of Northern India in the ages that followed the great eras of VicramApirya and SALIvAHANA,—are points on which we might hope to gain more light by a document of this length, than from any others which the progress of antiquarian discovery has yet produced.
The actual information obtained from this inscription, though not altogether destitute of new and interesting particulars relating to the state of India at the time of these kings, as I hope to shew in the few historical remarks subjoined to the reading and translation, is yet far from affording the desired satisfaction on the principal points just men- tioned. Except the bare point of succession, and some adventures rather alluded to than related in verses of a somewhat obscure style of compo- sition, the information of a directly historical nature extends little beyond what is obtained from the numismatic researches so ably and indefatigably conducted by our Secretary. Whether a more complete
B
2 Restoration and Translation (Jaw.
transcript would much increase our information from this source, may also be doubted. Lieutenant Cunnineuam, to whose zeal and activity the inquirers into Indian antiquities are so deeply indebted, states that he made the transcript of this Bhitari inseription under very serious disadvantages: but I am not disposed to attribute to any imperfections arising from this cause, the whole or even the greater part of the errors discoverable in the inseription as now exhi- bited. Some are certainly chargeable on the sculptor who formed the letters on the pillar, unfaithfully representing the remembered or written archetype before him: and these errors are of sufficient mag- nitude to induce the probable belief, that others occasioning more perplexity in the deciphering, may have arisen from the same source.
' From whatever source, however, they proceed, they are capable of being completely detected and amended in all the earlier part of the inscription : viz. the introduction, and the laudatory verses that follow ; but when the verse suddenly ceases or changes, and that in the midst of the stanza, as it does about the middle of the 14th Ime on the pillar,—it is impossible to say how far errors of the same kind with those before found and corrected, (such as this sudden cessation itself seems to indicate) may have produced the general unintelligibility of the document until we come to its last line, the 19th. With the exception of those four nes and a half, the rest, notwithstanding the indistinctness of many of the letters (indicated by the frequent double readings and oecasional lacune in Lieutenant CunnineHam’s pencil eopy), and the more serious difficulty arising from the positive errors above mentioned, may be interpreted with sufficient confidence.
That I may not, however, seem to be gratuitously imputing error to an unknown artist more than twelve centuries dead, with a view to screen the want of skill or accuracy in his living transcribers and interpreters,—I am bound to make good the charge in question in detail, and in a manner that may bring conviction to the mind of every competent scholar. The substitution of w for @ in the word qalaaa: (cohibitis-affectibus-viri) in the 6th line, is certainly the mistake of the.graver, not of his copyist: as is also the equally evident substitution in the following line of the trisyllable yfgat prithti for its synonyme Wet prithvé (the earth) ; where the latter word of two long syllables is indispensably required by the measure of the verse, indicated as it is by all the preceding and subsequent words in a manner not to be mistaken. These words in their written forms in the ancient character, are too unlike what are severally substituted for them to make this the possible error of a European copyist unacquainted with Sanscrit,—while they are pre-e
1837.] of the Inscription on the Bhitdrt Lat. 3
cisely such mistakes as a Hindu superficially acquainted with that language might most easily commit, if uninspected, in a work like this : the former arising from an ignorant confusion of two words of similar sound, but wholly different etymology as well as meaning,— the latter from total inattention to the rules of metrical harmony. Now the existence of two such glaring errors of the sculptor, uncor- rected, renders it highly probable that we should impute to him a large proportion, if not the whole, of the seven following equally manifest errors, (which might in their own nature, the first especially, be as easily committed by the European tracer of a facsimile.)
1. We have in line 8, at the close of the first metrical stanza, one @ instead of two in the words @a@w nanartta required to close the verse in the Mdanint measure
vv Vv 88 UUme or OU ass eer rae ee
“with no room whatever in the facsimile for the missing letter.
2. We have in the beginning of line 10, the syllables f¥a with not the least space between them—though it is absolutely certain that a @ ought to be there, no other syllable making a word with the syllables gfufz preceding, viz. the word pranthita from the close of the 9th line. |
3. Again in line 10, we have in the facsimile ¢& where the measure cannot possibly admit more than the latter of these two syllables, viz. the long € in yea.
4. We have in line 12, the syllables nufefafetir without the least interval in the facsimile between the first and second of them,— though the first is the penultimate of a connected and well defined stanza, and the four following are as evidently the beginning of another: the verse thus requiring, as does the sense independently of the verse, the syllable @ to close the former stanza with the word suddham.
5. We have in line 13, the syllables 4: fst in close juxta-posi- tion, not only contrary to the rules of sandhi, which in verse are carefully observed, but the former appearing from the preced- ing syllables to be the penultimate of a Mdnini line, while the latter appears equally from the following ones to be the ¢hird syllable of the next: so that there are absolutely required three syllables for which there is no space whatever in the facsimile ; viz. either 3Ifag which I have supplied, or something equivalent, to close one line of the stanza and begin the next.
6. There is no adequate space for the seven syllables required to be supplied at the beginning of the 14th line on the pillar to com-
B 2
4 Restoration and Translation [JAaNn.
mence the second line of the stanza there, though the continuance of the same measure is so clearly marked by what precedes and what immediately follows: and
7. What is still more strange, that measure closes with the second line of the stanza; what follows being as irreducible to metre as to good sense.
With these nine specimens of most evident error in as many lines of the inscription, the two last errors implying the skipping of several syllables at once,—and closed with the fact that there is no integral number of Médnini stanzas of four lines, but 55 only from their commencement in the 7th line of the pillar,—the grounds of conjectural emendation were too slight for its probable application, when the guide of metre was wanting. Accordingly from the 14th to the last line of the pillar, which supplied a stanza in the ordinary Anustubh measure, (a space constituting about one quarter of the inscription,) I have been content to groupe together those syllables which formed connected meanings, leaving the rest in which no such connexion appeared, uncopied: and abandoning, with respect to them, a task so much resembling that which the Chaldean king imposed on his magicians,—that of supplying the dream as well as the interpretation.
After this explanation, I proceed to exhibit the text, together with an English version of those three quarters of the inscription which are sufficiently intelligible, beginning with the seven lines of prose, that declare the genealogy and the succession. ,
Line of the Lat.
i + Wei facsSt yleatastat ee aqeetuata 2. [=] afeamatate THIRUG ATR [eat] + aaga UH: FAWAT 2 TART fecmacuze & <IAAGATTT he SIT AAATATAR * ABCastes aru re AIST aATAT aT [faz] fathers 4, Heleat Far[ear] « qara ABUTS axa Taeafee stat HEleaiaa cara wat] 5, weuface + + UcAATaaT He aaT TTA WY TAU A Gal ABSA 2 HASTE: Wa 6. « [ [Aas TARTRATE ufwaae
7, AeeraTaaa: Grew: Yfedtudewat « [aie] za qaqaedy
1837.]
LY.
12.
13.
pO.
of the Inscription on the Bhitdri Lat.
(feu jo fsraeat: qatar: aetat [f<|uta a RAAT WHAAAAT | yfuateaa [attfaatjara: qeaTA: azfeaufeara Sz feafalay a faeaanctat atadtefrattt tfaqausarat famam qaT | ufafenafaart Awa Fa aait 2 atuaafatsratat Grae At 2 Wes | ufafeaal gata: jefaurayeat faatraqragiasatarads | fafoasaaatat (aja atare atat ScaagAA aaafast alert | tatrracanits 2 wafuat TTAATE VALHAUATAL WM! WS | facaqala ames vgtaed afcaaaaae stad aa ais] i fefa fafa oftag[ et ]gatt aaa: fuafe feaqal[a]- favat[atjaaalt l qaarstatratai feared: Rice feq|fatautcdteatat Alaa | wafegfes wan caal waat[a « ecatacaal| waiacacsfaT | faufacwueriqaala feaafiattaae aaraa UAT fafera: ufafea * a ------- qatar PARTIC MTHSIaRLA + WEIMLIAWE qafau: tisigacarfeatyg Geyidt --~=+ 0 ~ Saati Pe ea a eee wag nifea: + aaaaaay CaTARCIMAT: ATAMATA: - - - - dad iad afifaat cars arte: | VAUISIITH F Aa GaaTwis | =fa |
Translation.
or
Of the liberator of the greatest kings, incomparable on the earth,—by whom loads of forest timber are collected for the holocaustic service of Inpra, Varuna and Yama by the completion of sacrifices bearing the flavour of the waters of all the four circumambient oceans,—whose glory reaches to the firmament,—who on every side bestows liberally as the
6 Restoration and Translation (Jan.
golden-sided mountain (Meru),—by whom Meru himself might be borne aloft in the piercing talons of his mighty arm,—the great grandson of the great king Gupra,—grandson of the great king GuatotKacHa,—son of the great king, the sovereign of kings, CuanpRa-eurTa,—maternal grandson of Liccnavi,—born of the great goddess-like Cuma’ra-pb’vi,—the great king, the sovereign of kings, SamupRa-eupra,—
Of him, when the accepted son was pronounced to be the son of De’vi, daughter of Mawa’pairyva, the incomparable worshipper of the supreme Buagcavat (Crisuna), the great king, the sovereign of kings, Coanpra- eupTa,—then his son, before addicted to illiberality, and a man of great parsimony, was purified by the waters of destiny. Such was the excellent blessedness of the worshipper of the supreme Buaeavat, the great king, the sovereign of kings, Cuma’ra-cupta, celebrated for his mildness of disposition, and of subdued passions united to accumulated fame,—a blessedness pervading even the forests and desert lands.
Verse.
Having well surmounted the calamities that oppressed the earth, the chief and unique hero of the Gupta race, of face like a lotus, displays the glory of conquest : even he, by name Scanpa-ceupra of distinguished and spotless renown,—who in the spirit of his own dreadful deeds danced in the fierce dance, (S1va-like after his vengeance for Srra’s death.)
Possessed of a clear insight into the profound wisdom of the Tantras, with aspirit of unceasing silence (on their incommunicable mysteries— and in accordance with their precept and discipline) mangling the flesh of the refractory in successive victories;—he by whom their challenge to battle being accepted and answered, forms a splendid spectacle in every quarter of the earth,—is declared even by alien princes to be one whose mind could not be shaken by sudden and unexpected calamity.
For afterwards by him to whom the keeping of his treasure was com- mitted,—the boundary which was given as a sacred deposit, and worthy to be extended to the extremities of the earth—was treacherously taken away, and the prosperity of the family removed from it,—(even by him the minister aforesaid) coveting the wealth of that family, having previ- ously professed much attachment in words, but destitute of the light (of truth), and followed by calamitous defection.
Yet (having conquered) the land, his left foot was fixed there on a throne yet untrodden by mortals, and having obtained excellent room, and laid by his weapons, he reposed from war on his (inaccessible) moun- tain. His pure and noble exploits, the exploits of a man of unspotted fame, although long opposed by the kings of the excellent seven hills, are now sung even by them.
In every region did men surround that young prince, when his father had gone to heaven, as one who had attained most illustrious prosperity : whom his father’s brother and the other chiefs did first (thus surround, hailing him) as their new sovereign, in the midst of the joy of conquest, with tears in their eyes,
1837.) of the Inscription on the Bhitdré Lat. 7
May he who is like Crisuna still obeying his mother Ds'vaxi, after his foes are vanquished, he of golden rays, with mercy protect this my design.
Whatever prince in this place perpetually worships this sacred image, is considered by Rupra (Siva) himself as one whose understanding is ennobled and rendered praise-worthy by this affectionate devotion, even in the land of Arua (InpRa) and the other celestials.
Remarks on the above Inscription.
The parentage of SamupRa-Gupta son of CHANDRA-GUPTA, witch closed the Allahabad inscription, forms in nearly the same words the beginning of the present; and his panegyric which pervaded the earlier monument, is the leading subject in the prose part of this. The first new fact is the designation of his son and successor, CuanprRA-Gurra the second: whom it seemed most obvious on the first reading of the names* to identify with the expected son and heir of the 18th line of the pillar of Allahabad, the offspring of SamuDRA-Gvupra and his principal queen the daughter of the proud princess Sanudricd. This identification, however, is removed by the terms of the inscription itself: this son does not succeed by right of primogeniture, but as peculiarly selected (parigrihita) on account | of his eminent virtues from the rest of the family or families of the polygamist king, and is the offspring not of Sanu&rica’s daughter, but of the daughter of a prince named Mandpaitya. The son and successor of Cuanpra-Gupra II. is CumAra-eupta, who is represented as having been a very unprincely character at the time of his father’s adoption as heir to the throne; but having been disciplined by some unnamed fortune, becomes on his own accession to the throne, an emulator of the mild virtues and the Vaishnava devotion of his parent. The next king is Scanpa-cupra, who may be most pro- bably supposed to be the son of his immediate predecessor CumARra- Gupta: but on this point, the verse which here takes the place of the more narrative prose, is unfortunately silent. We only hear of his distinguished fame as a warrior: and that his piety, congenial with his acts, does not take the same turn with that of his two nearest predecessors, of devotion to VisHnu the Preserver, but attach- ed itself to the opposite system now so prevalent in this part of India, the deep, mysterious and sanguinary system of the Tantras. After the conquest and slaughter of many opposing kings, we hear
* See p. 644 of volume V.
8 Historical Remarks [Jan.
of his eventual triumph over a more formidable enemy than all, a treacherous minister, who for a time succeeds in dispossessing him of his kingdom. After vanquishing, however, the rival monarchs of the seven hills, and resting peacefully on his laurels in his inacces- sible mountain throne, (localities which carry us away from the immediate vicinity of the Ganges, but whether towards the north or Central India we have no means of determining,) this worthy wor- shipper of Stva and Durea ascends to heaven: and his brother and the other chiefs, with mingled feelings of grief and affectionate allegiance, proclaim his young child the heir to his father’s crown and conquests. This youth is described as obedient to the queen dowager his mother, as was Crisuna to his mother De/vax1’; but the part of the inscription that proceeds to speak of him is con- fused and unintelligible; neither does he appear to be once named ; unless we conceive some letters of line 18 to give his name thus: MauEsa-prITA-GuPTA, (the Gupta attached to Siva, or beloved by Siva.) He is probably the Manenpra-cupta whose name occurs in several of the newly discovered coins of this dynasty.
The royal family of the Guptas, therefore, as adapted to the time of this inscription, stands as follows; the Arabic numerals denoting sovereigns, or those to whom the prefix Mahardja Adhiraja belongs,
in the order of their succession. Gupta, a Raja of the Solar line.
LiggHAVI,
GHATOTKACHA, ditto ditto, whose daughter was
1. CoHanpra-GuptTa I. —&—Cuma/’ra-pEvi’, MaAna’-DAITYA, queen consort. whose daughter was
2 ———— De’vr’,, one of the queens of SAMUDRA-GUPTA.
2. SAMUDRA-GUPTA, 3. CHANDRA-Gupra JI.
4. CUMA’RA-GUPTA, whose son probably was
5. SCANDA-GUPTA,
6. A young prince (MAHENDRA-GUPTA ?) a minor at the date of this inscription.
1837.] on the Inscription of the Bhitari Lat. 3
One remarkable fact, learnt solely from this inscription, is the prevalence at the time of the Gupta dynasty, of the two opposite sectarian forms of later Hindu worship: that of the exclusive devo- tees of Visunu on the one hand, whose favorite authority is the celebrated poem (probably inserted among the Puranas by the com- paratively recent grammarian VopEDEvaA) called the Srimad Bhigavata: and that of the worshippersof Siva and his female energies on the other, whose text books are those singular compounds of Cabalistic mys- tery, licentiousness and blood, the Agamas or Tantras.—The princes Cuanpra-Gupta and Cuma/ra-GupTa are expressly commemorated as belonging to the former class, and Scanpa-cupta as an adherent of the latter. And here I must recall an observation that I hazarded when commenting on the Allahabad inscription, (J.A.S. vol. iii.p. 268,) that the worship of the Saktis, with its existing mysteries and orgies, was most probably unknown in India at the date of that monument. The terms in which that species of devotion is spoken of about a century after, in the second* of the metrical stanzas in the present Bhitdré inscription, shews that the same system was even then dominant, and sufficiently powerful and seducing to enlist kings among its votaries. And while this (if I am correct in supposing the age of the Gupta dynasty to be somewhere between the Ist and 9th centuries of our era), may be among the earliest authentic notices of that mode of worshipping Baarrava and C&xi’,—the mention of it at all furnishes an additional proof to my mind of the impossibility} of referring these monuments to the earlier age of CHanpra-cupta Maurya, or that of ALEXANDER the Great, and the century immediately following.
A far more plausible hypothesis is the identification of this Gupta dynasty, with that which is mentioned in the prophetico-historical part of the Vishnu-Purana, (Book iv. chap. 24,) as arising in this precise tract of country, contemporaneously with other dynasties in different parts of India, during the turbulent period that followed the extinction of the last race of Indian sovereigns that reigned in Magadha, and the irruption of Sacz and other foreign tribes from the north-west. The dominion of the Guptas is there said to include the great city of Praydga on the confluence of the Ganges and Jumna, where their principal monument is now found, as well as the yet more sacred city of Mathura on the latter river, and the less known names of Padmdvati and Kdnti-puri, (probably near the site of our present Cawnpore:) it is also described as extending down the Ganges to
* See Note A. + See Note B.
10 Historical Remarks (Jan.
Magadha or Behar, where one VisvA-sPHATIKA (or VisvA-sPpHuRSI, of the old race of Magadha sovereigns) had extirpated the existing race of Xattriyas, and set up other low castes, together with Brahmans, in their stead ; as I read in two MSS. copies* of the Vishnu-Purana, the words of which are
anya ¢ feaanfeadst 2 araivatcata aadas ufee areata cist wufsata | sarenfaaasadtaan Te wget aaqat waa Tata Aa WATS Haga, Aare |
«In the country of Magadha, one named Visva-sPHATIKA Shall form and set up in the kingdom other castes, the Kaivarttas, Yadus, Pulin- das, and Brahmans: and thus having abolished all the races of Xattri- yas, shall the nine Nagas, and in Padmdvatt, Kdnti-puri, Mathura, and on the Ganges from Praydga, shall the Magadhas and the Guptas rule over the people belonging to Magadha.” \
All these new sets of kings, with the Natshadhas in Calinga, &c. and the more barbarous races elsewhere, are represented in the Purana as ferocious, rapacious and tyrannical men, of little knowledge and no principle, whose rise and progress and fall are to be equally sudden and extraordinary, short-lived, and only nominal observers of religion. The people under their sway, and through the contact of foreign races, will gradually fall into that neglect of caste and other religious observances, that reference of all things to worldly riches and conse- quent impiety and unrighteousness, that will prepare the way for the tenth and last incarnation of Visunu as Katx.’ to restore all things. Thus, soon after the account of their Guptas, close the prophetic announcements of Pardsara to Marrreya of what was to befal the world after him, and with them the 4th Book of the Vishnu- Purana.
It is true, that according to the chronology of the Purana, as set down minutely in that chapter, we should have the commence-
* Thé valuable English abstract and partial translation of this Purana (as of the others) deposited in the Asiatic Society’s Library by Professor H. H. Wit- son,—is silent on the latter point, the association of the Guptas with Maga- dhas, and their dominion in Behar: relating their possession of those four cities in the Dodb, Padmdvatt, Kdnti-purt, Mathura, and Praydga, as altogether uncon. nected with the affairs of Magadha, and the extirpation of the Xattriyas from that country, with which they are distinctly blended in the Sanscrit passage as given above.
For the further testimony of the Srimad-Bhagavata, see Note C.
1837.] on the Inscription of the Bhitért Lat. 7
ment of the reign of these Guptas posterior to SANDRAcoTTAS, and consequently to ALExaNpDER the Great, by (1387 +112 + 45 4+ 456 +. 1399 + 300 + 186 =) 2635 years,—and therefore as really future to us as to the prophetic Muni and his hearer. But setting aside all other considerations, it is only the four first of the seven component periods of this sum that will appear to an attentive inspection of the Pur4na itself, to be entitled to the least attention: viz. the spaces as- signed respectively to the Maurya, the Sanga, the Kanva and Andhra dynasties of Hindu sovereigns in Magadha: of which the name of each individual king is set down, their several numbers’ 10, 10, 4 and 30 agreeing perfectly with the durations assigned to each race*. But the fifth and sixth periods of 1399 and 300 years have no such catalogues of kings accompanying them, but only a statement that in the former there should rule in succession seven kings of the Abbhra caste, 10 Gardabhiras, 16 Saka or Scythian kings, 8 Yavana or Grecian, 14 Tushara, 13 Munda, and 1] Mauna kings: and in the latter period of three centuries, Paura and 11 other unnamed sove- reigns. This enumeration, strongly indicative of the disturbed and semi-barbarous condition of affairs, which caused the suspension of all the ancient records,—and in which synchronous dynasties might easily be mis-stated as successive ones, and the sum of years readily palmed on the Hindu reader, to enhance the antiquity of the classical and heroic ages of the country,—is succeeded, in the last period immediately preceding the rise of the Guptas, by something more resembling the records of earlier times. As this list, occupying the seventh period above mentioned of 186 years, has not yet been published,—(that of Hamitton in the corresponding period being somewhat different and much more confused,) | will here set it down from my MS. of the Vishnu-Purana.
* These may all be seen, as they stand in this and other Puranas, in p. 100 of Mr. J. Prtnsrp’s Useful Tables. The accuracy of these lists is strongly con- firmed by the collateral testimony of the Chinese travellers in India in the 5th century, whose relation is published in the London Asiatic Journal of July last. Their king of Kapila, Yun-Gan, Beloved of the Moon, whose ambassador sent presents to China A. D. 428, is (not CHANDRA/NANDA, as the learned translator of that work suspected, but) Cuanpra-sri’, the king immediately preceding Puvomarcais, the last of the Andhra dynasty at Magadha,— who was reigning at this precise time. ‘This removes the hope entertained by Mr. J. Prinsep, (to whom I am indebted for the communication of this paper) and myself, that this might prove to be the Coanpra-cuprta of the inscription, and makes the latter posterior to him by probably three or four centuries.
c 2
12 Historical Remarks (Jan.
Vinpuya-sacti from Kilakila, who adopts the manners of the Yavanas, whose son is
PURANJAYA, RA’MA-CHANDRA, DHARMA. VANGARA, (Wils. VAR/ANGA.)
KRITANANDANA, (who has 4 sons.)
SUKHINANDI, NANDIYASAS, SisuHA, PRAVIRA. who has 13 sons.
After whom came 4 Bahukas or Bactrians, 3 Puspamitras, 13 Yadu- mitras, 7 Mekalas; and in Kausala or Oude, 9 Naishadhas.
_ Thus the account of this dynasty, which Hamitron calls the Bah- lic or Bactrian one, terminates in a confusion worse confounded than that from which it emerged. And this statement in the Vishnu- Purana is immediately followed by the passage above quoted respect- ing the Magadhas and Guptas.
Allowing, however, the least possible duration to the confused periods that followed the subversion of the Andhra dynasty in the middle of the fifth century after Christ, it is scarcely possible to fix the subjects of our present inquiry, the Guptas, higher than the age of CHARLEMAGNE in Europe, if we suppose them identical with the Guptas of the Purana.
Notes A.
The insertion among the praises of the 5th king Scanpa-aupta, of the epithet ‘“‘ a mangler of the flesh of the refractory,’ (avinama-pala- sdtd,) and that in close juxta-position with the attributes of peculiar wisdom, and adherence to a mysterious system of Cabalistic theo- logy,;—may appear surprising to persons who have either considered but slightly the genius and tendencies of idolatry, or are unacquaint- ed with this peculiar form of it. To shew how perfectly natural is the juxta-position in the present instance, I cannot give a more generally intelligible proof than in the picture drawn in the metaphy- sical drama Prabodha-chandra-udaya, of a votary of this same Tantric discipline, under the name of Sa-uMA-sIDDHANTA,—i, e. says the
1837.] on the Inscription of the Bhitdrt Ldt. 13
commentator, a professor of the science of Siva BuarrAva in con- junction with Uma his consort.—I will give the original Sanscrit and Pracrit (the latter spoken by the Buddhist, being his own Pali,—the former by the other two speakers) with a different version from that of Dr. Taytor, distinguishing prose and verse exactly as in the original: premising, that the ingenious author does not intend to give any exaggeration or caricature, but simply to exhibit a model of an existing mode of belief and practice in his time: such as may be traced also, under certain modifications even now; after centuries of Mahomedan and Christian rule have interfered with the free exercise of such homicidal worship.
aa: ofanfa Grafeara: arataaequie| eT ee: (uftara] achat aaa: WAUAG a SHITAATAA: | quits FMB STUAT sufaafaaiiadtaera | ayaa: | wat aifasae yfsar mete ata yfea [sue] wa aretha sgapeag ad ate Ta SIGATRE | AUR: | BC AUUH AH AIACTATAATYTT | afeenrarertranttargatasaseat GB TARTAR AGUA A A UTTAIT | aa wrasrenretarseat Tae TT zat a qeamecafatae at FET WTA: | faa | [wat frara] TH IE HST STRUT AAAAT | aq| ataraa afaari Bel Brcuraattaat aatfa fauraant Tal TATA | Hat | [Aare] AU aT yaw Afra WRITIT RAT aga we farsa a fas wae naaaifetafaraa sadtrat serafearasfeatarat waar wardtefa:, qwalAate aH afeare | ElCeCgLsas As BLITSAT ES faafa weat aaatai wafy wate | aanaadiaargat fara adtfaat HIT VAS BARA Qa fratia aa
14 Historical Remarks [Jan.
ay | wa aaifes wetsra Hatha gars wearer Stas zagra fefas faurssit fata | AUT) BU wa qacty asat tyaifaan cattaute aca avait FT Ses | WBA VAMLIITARC STA AH THAIS ATH LISS ITEC WaT | <ul aft sausataRaa qua vateat ufuefaarta |
[xfa esaqaefa |] In Act III. To them, enter Soma-SippHanra in the guise of a Kapalika (or man of skulls), with a sword in his hand. Soma-Sid. (walking about.) With goodly necklace deck’d of bones of men, Haunting the tombs, from cups of human skull Eating and quaffing,—ever I behold With eyes that Meditation’s salve hath clear’d, The world of diverse jarring elements Composed, but still all one with the Supreme. Buddhist. This man professes the rule of a KApdlika. I will ask him what it is.—(Going up to him.) O, ho! you with the bone and skull necklace, what are your notions of happiness and salvation ? Soma-Sid. Wretch of a Buddhist! Well; hear what is our religion.
With flesh of men, with brain and fat well smear’d, We make our grim burnt-offering,—break our fast From cups of holy Brahman’s skull,—and ever With gurgling drops of blood that plenteous stream From hard throats quickly cut, by us is worshipped With human offerings meet, our God, dread BHAIRAVA. Bréhman Mendicant, (stopping his ears.) Buddhist, Buddhist, what think you of this? O horrible discipline ! Buddhist. Sacred Arhata! some awful sinner has surely deceived that man. Soma-Siddhanta (in a rage). Aha‘!—sinner that thou art,—vilest of heretics, with thy shaven erown, drest like the lowest outcasts, uncombed one, away with thee! Is not the blessed husband of Buavawnt the sole cause of the creation, preservation, and destruction of the fourteen worlds, and his power established by the fullest demonstration of the Védant? Let us yet shew even you the magnificence of this religion. I call at will the best of gods, great Hart, And Hara’s self and BkRaunmMa,—I restrain With my sole voice the course of stars that wander In heaven’s bright vault ; the earth with all its load Of mountains, fields and cities, I at will
1837.] on the Inscription of the Bhitari Lat. 15
Reduce once more to water—and behold I drink it up. Buddhist. Alas! poor Kap4lika, this is just what I said. You have been de- ceived by some juggler, spreading out false images before you. Soma-Siddhanta. What, again, thou sinner ! Dost thou dare to call the great Mauesvara a juggler? This thy malignity must not be forgiven. Lo, therefore, With foaming floods of gore that gush amain From throat well severed with this sabre’s edge, I make my sacrifice to him that calls With beat of drum the hosts of creatures after him, Dread Srva—and with these rich ruddy streams Delight his consort well, Boavant. (Draws his sword.)
[How the hand of the Tantric zealot is arrested from smiting the unfortunate Buddhist,—how he then enters on a psychological defence of his opinions,— how he is then joined by SrappwH4a’ (or Faith !) in the character of a Kapalini, who by her blandishments leads both the Brahman mendicant and the Buddhist, to deport themselves like Tantrists,—and how they all then join Soma-SipDHANTA in a meditative dance ;—all this and other wonders may be found by the curious in the drama above cited. ]
Note B.
In once more expressing the opinion, that the Gupta dynasty of our present monuments is posterior to the Christian era, Iam by no means insensible to the new light that Mr. Turnour has thrown on the history of SANDRACOTTUS in the extracts he has given from a learned commen- tary on the Mahd-wanso, pp. Ixxi—1xxxii. of his very interesting pre- face to that great historical work. That some of my objections to the identity of the two Caanpra-Gupras are removed, or at least greatly weakened, I freely admit: there certainly appears ancient Buddhist authority (for such is apparently the Atta-kathd or Astata- kathad of the Uttara-vihara priests alleged by the commentator) for making the Mauryas a branch of the Solar race; utterly inadmissible as is the etymology assigned for that name in the Tika (p. Ixxvi.) as well as for the name of Sisun&Ga, ancestor of the Nandas, (pp. Ixxii. Ixxii.) It is also very remarkable, in relation to this subject, that the latter prince is there represented as the son of a Liccuavi Raja, that being apparently the name of a distinguished family in Magadha : Lic¢HAvi being also the name, in the inscriptions of Allahabad and Bhitdri, of the father-in-law of our Cuanpra-cupra I. and maternal grand-father of Samupra-cupTa. Nevertheless, there still appear to me insurmountable objections to identifying Samupra-Gupra with Vinpvu-sdrA, the son and successor of CHaANpRA-GueTaA Maurya on the Magadha throne. while a still more evident impossibility is now added of identifying his son, the Vaishnava Cuanpra-curta II. of our present monument, with Asoca, son of VinpusAra, the zealous ad-
16 Historical Remarks, &c. [Jan.
herent and propagator of Buddhism, not only in his own dominions of Magadha, but the north, east, and south, as far as Ceylon. It is needless to pursue the discrepancy of the genealogies further: the Vaishnava CumAra-Gurta and the Saivya and Saktya worshipper, Scanpa-acupta, have nothing in common with the Buddhist descen- dants and successors of Duarmdsoca. Is it not also very possible that with a view to exalt the immediate ancestry of that most revered prince, the priests of the favored religion may have introduced this ac- count of the Moriya family, as an offspring of the Solar race,—so dis- crepant from that which other Indian accounts, as well as Greek and Roman, give of its origin? That the Buddhist priests, notwithstanding their hostility to caste, are not insensible to considerations of this kind, is evident from the care with which, in the Mahd-wanso and elsewhere, they inculcate the undoubted royal descent of Gautama BuppHa.
Norz C.
The passage above quoted from the Vishnu-Purana seems to have been somewhat differently read by the more modern author of the Srimad-Bhdgavata,—who here as elsewhere, is apparently only trans- ferring into his own more polished and elaborate verse, the records found in the older Purdnic legends. By him the term Gupta, instead of being a proper name, is made an epithet of the earth as ruled or protected (for so the scholiast SripHara has explained it) by the VIsvVA-SPHATIKA above mentioned, who is here called Visva-sPHURJI. The close agreement, as well as occasional discrepancy, of the two authorities, will be easily seen from the following extract (Bhdgavata,
Book xii. chap. 1.)
atrarat a afaat feats: qoae
qwaucia au WaT ARAL | Re |
iS e Isaatasr auataata sate | eS
Aaa AAAS UMsTat aa WE |
_artaawsaa wat data AfeaT | RQ wv “ Visva-SPHURJI, another PurANgaYA, (i. €. says the scholiast, the best of the descendants of PuRANJAYA or Ripunsaya, who was king of Magadha, B. C. 900.) shall create new barbarian castes, the Pulindas, Yadus and Madras. This ill-minded warrior shall make the greatest part of his subjects to be un-brahmanical, (or lower than sudras)—and hay-
ing exterminated the Xattriyas, he shall, in the city of Padmavati, and on the Ganges, as far as Praydga, derive tribute from the pro-
tected earth,”
1837.] Alphabets of the Tai language. 17
The words Waaaratsaiy are explained here by the scholiast to de- scribe the situation of the king’s metropolis Padmdvaiti, as being situ- ated in the Ganges above Prayaga, or, as he words it, between Allahabad and Haridvér. But this explanation is quite inapplicable to the same words as they stand in the Vishnu-Purana, where they immediately follow the mention of Mathurd, and where the mention of Magadha following induces me to interpret the words “on the Ganges below Praydga’ or between Allahabad and the sea.
1I].—Alphabets of the Tat language. By the Rev. N. Brown, Mis-
sionary in Assam.
[We are indebted to Capt. F. Jenxrns, Political Agent in Assam, for kindly engaging Mr. Brown to throw light upon the Ahom and Khamti alphabets, of which it may be remembered Capt. JENKINS two years ago presented to the Society some manuscript volumes then undecipherable for the want of this indispensable key. The Ahom let- ters are stated to be copied from an old book in the author’s possession. The brief notice of the language itself, (Mr. Brown writes to Capt. J.) was gathered from a pandit of the Jorhdth Raja, whom he employed as teacher fora few months. He did not seem to possess a very perfect knowledge of the Ahom language, and he stated that the same was true of the Ahoms in general, who for the most part have lost all knowledge of their original tongue.
Captain Jenxins thinks there can be little doubt that the Ahom rajas came into Assam from the eastward about the beginning of the thirteenth century ; and that the immediate cause of their emigra- tion is to be sought for in the breaking up of the Chinese empire by the Moguls,—for at the epoch when Cuuxapua had fixed himself in Assam, Kusuat Kuan had just established himself in China. We may confidently hope that after a little longer residence at Sadiyd, Mr. Brown, who is rapidly extending his acquaintance with the different branches of the Shydn language will be induced to favor us with a sketch of the contents of the old dhom chronicles, which, we are given to understand, certainly exist in Assam, and of which the volume transmitted by Capt. Jenkins may be a portion.
Capt. Jenkins alludes to a curious fact, communicated by Mr. Brown, which should be a further inducement to examine their books ; namely, that no trace of Buddhism is to be found in the religion of the Ahoms. This is a remarkable deviation from the circumstances
D
18 Alphabets of the Tai anguage. [JAN.
of the other Shydn families whose literature is but a direct trans- lation of Burmese Buddhism, as their alphabets, the Shyan,Khamti, Laos, &c., are seen to be mere modifications of the Burmese or Pali alphabet.
This fact would seem to argue that the emigration of the Ahoms from their own country Siam, had taken place prior to the introduc- tion of the Buddhist religion into that country—but how can this be reconciled with the date of CaukapHa ?—Ep. ]
The Language of the Ahoms.
The Ahom is’a branch of the Tai language, which is spoken, with some variations, by the Khamtis, the Shyans, the Laos, and the Sia- mese, all of whom designate themselves by the general appellation of Tai. Among the Ahoms, or that portion of the Tai race inhabiting Assdm, the language is nearly extinct, being cultivated only by the priests, as the ancient language of their religion; while their vernacu- lar and common dialect, as well as that of the people, is Assamese. As the Ahoms once ruled over Assdm, it is somewhat surprising that more traces of their language are not to be found in the present dialect of the Assamese, which contains very few words of Tai origin.
As might naturally be expected, the Ahoms, from disuse of their original tongue, have lost many of its peculiar sounds. In conformity . with the pronunciation of the Assamese, they give to w the sound of 6; and y, they pronounce as j or z. The sound of the French uw, which is so common in the Tai, they change sometimes to @ and sometimes to /. The intonations of their original tongue they have entirely lost; one reason of this undoubtedly is, that these intonations were never express- ed by the Ahomsin writing. The same is at present the case with the Khamtis and Shy4ns, who have no characters expressive of their in- tonations, having, like the Ahoms, adopted the Burman alphabet, which is inadequate to meet the wants of the Tai language in this re- spect. The Siamese characters, on the contrary, represent the tones with the greatest precision.
It is, however, remarkable that the language of the Ahoms as pronounced by the priests, corresponds to the Siamese with much greater exactness in some respects, than any of the Shyan dialects spoken between dssdm and Siam.
1. The sound of 8, frequent in the Siamese and Laos, is converted into m by all the Shyans, while the Ahoms have preserved the regular 6. é
2. The Siamese d is changed by the Shy4ans to J, and by the Kham- tis to n, but the Ahoms give it its correct pronunciation.
3. The same is true of the letter 7, which the Shyans change to h.
anar % wee ‘a ye ? RN = ‘ re PA “of ve q - =, Lee wa 4 Y ee - th. * . r ) Ld ay | 54} tr) ae. in is yp ‘a ; a | + . i "ha » f oie rae % wrx | ‘ F & 3 “us eB : ak > 7 v ‘ aan y « Sedge bas ‘e re se rd Ve s : ~~ . if ™* ‘ ~ ‘a Pr 7 ‘a wo we Mi 7 re ok a & ' ?: / 67 fe, : K ee we , ‘ 1
i — 4 c Lin eA “. , i pie € (3 - 4 ; oir é + J
j way > he 1 M4
= ; ited | tee bat
y ~ kx “ od { we | ai he >. Sean rch |: Sade!
—< .)
Deer SAAvTR 5 ft ae ag fa ao Sin ND: ehh de S oe
« te, y" 5 , - Pipa Mee lig cm. | lt oe emt mp ye me NES ‘P< = - aM " a i Lf i , ¥ . a, i ee ae a 5 s a ae
Journ .as. Soc. =
&
;
Rh s
Burma
ccm DO BSBBZLOO™Z
| Khamict
,SS8eo0gEe
3 ae S 3 res
Qa
8
eHEc Ex
as SS
S|
a %
“y) owe nm 6
re
is
3 NG hes oven Meats SURI A
mM Nis 51 oY S hh sth oO i
© g/4 J} of 30 ee om @reud vf 0 o2 @ ¢ dom &) a ih ds} op
by
adloan
dhl ag
™ 3
Wal. WV. PEL.
2ls
| Leos
So 303 S | Shyan 8.332 3 3
2 x)
A tphabets of ve TAL ban ge
ay they)
(men) (nor)
ki (french uw
three
Yar-
teties) j
& (Ahom Inseréepkion vfan 1 Assam Rupee.
SLEW ROT WIS NN CO AeR & wt of: B: <o
Ftinscpe TeMheg .
> (note) 4
1837.) Alphabets of the Tai language. 19
4. Where double consonants, as K/, pl, kr, &c. occur at the com- mencement of a word, as they frequently do in Siamese, the Shy4ns and Khamtis, as well as the Laos, soften the pronunciation by omit- ting the second consonant; but it is preserved by the Ahoms. I will illustrate each of these remarks by a few examples.
Siamese. Léos. Shydn. Khamitt. Ahom.
1. Ba ba ma ma ba a shoulder, Ban ban min man ban a village. Bin bin min min bin to fly.
Bo bo mo mo bo a well.
2. Di di lf ni di good, Deng deng leng neng deng red.
Doi doi loi noi doi a mountain. Diu dau lau nau dau a star. Diian diin liin niin din the moon.
3. Rak rakorhak hak hak rak to love. Rai rai hai hai rai bad.
Ron ron hon hon rou hot. Ra ra ha ha ra to know. Riia ri hu hi ra a boat. Riian riin hiin hiin ran a house.
4, Pla pa pa pa pla a fish. Klai kai kai kai klai distant. Kliia ki kit kit kla salt. Pliiak pik pik pik plak a husk.
From these circumstances we may conclude that the Siamese and Ahom dialects afford a more correct specimen of the original Tai lan- guage, than either the Laos, Khamti, or Shyan ; for it is improbable, if the original forms had been simple and easy of enunciation, that they would have been exchanged for others more difficult; but it is perfectly natural that difficult forms should be exchanged for others more simple.
Explanation of the Table.
It is probable that all the alphabets of the Tai, (if we except the Siamese,) were formed from the Burman. The column of Burman ‘letters is merely added for the purpose of comparison. The Ahom, Khamti, and Shydn alphabets each contain eighteen letters, but this number is quite inadequate to express the various sounds of these languages. The Laos alphabet is more perfect: it contains fewer letters, however, than the Siamese. In the above table we observe that the Laos alphabet contains, to some extent, two distinct charac- ters for each letter of the Ahom and Shydn; one denoting the rising, and the other the falling tone*. The rising-toned letters are set first
_ ® The second column of the Ldos consonants embrace the second order or
the softer sound of each class of the Indian alphabets, g gh ; jjh; d dh; b bh,
‘&c.: the gh only is formed differently from the same letter of the Burman
alphabet. We have inserted these letters in the Roman column on the above p?2
20 Alphabets of the Tai language. [Jan.
in the column ; those on the right hand have the falling tone. Seve- ral of the falling-toned letters have no corresponding character for the opposite intonation ; when it is required to express this, an h is
written above the letter, which raises its tone; thus, Q ng, Q on,
9 o> m, QD I, &c. Asimilar plan is adopted in the Siamese, where
the high-toned , is prefixed to other consonants for the purpose of raising their tone.
The pronunciation of the fourth letter in the table is not uniform ; the Siamese give it the sound of ch, the Laos nearly the same, while all the Shyans pronounce it as st. The next letter, chh, is confound- ed by the Shy4ns with s. The character for ph is used, by the Ahoms and Shy4ns, to express both the aspirated p and the sound of Ff; the Khamtis for the most part confound these two sounds. The Ahoms use the same character for both d and 7; and also for } and w; but the latter sound is changed to that of b, whenever it occurs at the beginning of a word.
In the table of vowels we also find the sounds represented more fully by the Laos than by the northern tribes ; though the Laos are still behind the Siamese in expressing the niceties of the language. The sounds resembling the French u and eu, or the German ii and 6, are written alike by the Shyans, though they are perfectly distinguished in pronunciation ; as also the sounds of ai and di; au and du; eu and iu. The sound ait, which is. very common among the Shyans and Khamtis, does not occur in the Laos. Its place is supplied by ai.
The long ¢ final of the Shyans is generally pronounced da or va by:
the Laos and Siamese. The Shy4n character given in the table is that used in the neighborhood of Ava ; it is the same, with very slight variations, as that used by the Shyans of Mégaung.
Norts. At the foot of the alphabetical scheme, lithographed from Mr. Brown’s manuscript, we have inserted the Ahom legend of an Assamese rupee, said to be of Coaxrapwasa Srnua, who repulsed AvRANGZEB’s general, and whose reign commenced in 1621*. The sculptured letters differ considerably in form from the written ones, and there is too much uncertainty for us to attempt applying the Roman: character to it, without a native at hand to correct the reading.
We have also given in the two following plates, facsimiles ona reduced scale of the commencement of the manuscript volumes in the grounds ; but the pronunciation must of course, under the author’s explana. tion, be restricted to the sounds of the first column & kh; ch chh; t ths p ph,
&c.; with the rising or falling intonations respectively.—Ep. * See page 118 of Chronological Appendix.
JournalAs. Soc. Yet VILL.
Specumen of the Khamti character. froma manuscrept of /0 pages, in the Asiatec Socretys library.
” {ES @) OD 300)) 2 2 0)GON» So Neha » Ww gro, Sormghegy nageady ee oes et oegoepod, Begone mat nap Og celsadie ad seFol ory cnedel oxnj0 Td a es 6 eo cesar) asjes ence a eosee hae oi esos Oay cefged wseyeinereqcvsd|or ee weseveen) “tab ego doenfoes: “4 os @ eo /6q6 iaeeae Sea yg Ses esde AVOB6 q OD OPCIHNO Od O90S, 060 rad edodewe ae ae. 7
Bee yr oreersoesisencrey 5 ayia
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1837.} Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 2t
Khamti and Ahom characters, above alluded to as presented by Captain Jenxins. The former commences with an invocation to Buddha in the Pali language and Burmese character, but there are several grammatical errors committed by the Khamti copyist—the line should run $6O20D009 990 OGOD2 aE)}O0CGOD7 093300 9) 3900503 MOOOQOO GEC CO Namotassa bhagavato arahato sammé sambuddhassa itfjayatu sabba mangalam. Praise to the divine object of worship, the omniscient Buddha; through whom may all happiness conquer,
We hope that Mr. Brown will enable us to insert a translation of the Khamti and Ahom texts in a future page.—Eb.
III.—Remarks on the Silk Worms and Silks of Assam. By Mr. Tuomas a Hueon, Sub. Asst. Nowgong. [Communicated by Capt. F. Jenkins, Pol. Agent in Assam.]
The following worms producing silk are found in Assam. The mulberry worm (large and small), the eria, the mooga, or moonga, the kontkuri, the deo mooga, and the haumpottonee. The five last are indigenous to the country, but there are no reasons to suppose that the first is likewise so. The mulberry is scarce, and none is found in the wildstate. The time of the introduction could be, perhaps, ascer- tained in some of the Assamese booronjees or chronicles—(which I was unable to procure immediately to ascertain the point); some of them extending several centuries back—as the Assamese got reli- gious instructors from Bengal, it is very probable they also got from there the mulberry tree and worm. The use of the silk being con- fined to the raja and grandees, and the rearing of the worm to one caste, are additional proofs that its introduction did not precede that of Hinduism—the joogees (the caste alluded to) must evidently have come up with it; the Assamese refuse to rear the silk worm, but not having this objection to the other worms would be one proof of the latter being indigenous, were it doubtful.
Mulberry worm.—The management of these worms in Assam is nearly similar to what it is in Bengal. They are reared within doors, and require the same care and attention as are bestowed on them there ; a separate hut is used, which is fitted with bamboo stages with a passage between them and the outer wall—these huts are built north and south with a single door on the east side; this is generally the case, but by no means a fixed rule amongst the Assamese ; only one female of the family goes into the house, and previous to doing
22 Remarks on the Silks of Assam. [Jan.
it alway washes her hands and feet. With the Assamese the idea prevails as in other parts, that the eye of the stranger is hurtful— their account of this is, that the worms, fancying the stranger is criti- cising them, get sulky, abstain from food and die. .
The large and small mulberry worms are reared in Assam. I will describe the rearing of those which produce only one bund a year, (the larger,) they being more in use than the others in this district. Tt will be sufficient to shew how far the process assimilates to that followed in Bengal and other parts. The moths are made to deposit their eggs on pieces of cloth—these are packed up with the house- hold clothing ; when the time of hatching approaches (December), they are taken out and exposed to the air; when the worms are hatched they are fed the first three or four days on the tender leaves cut up, in new earthen pots; then on a bambootray. After the first moulting they are removed to the mutchang (machin) or stages. When they are about beginning to spin, they are put on bamboo trays fitted up with pieces of matting fixed perpendicularly at intervals of two inches: these in the first afternoon are exposed for half an hour to the side where the sun is shining, and afterwards hung up in the house. After leaving as many as are required for breeding, those that are to be wound off, after having been exposed to the sun for three or four days, are put over a slow fire in an earthen vase full of water. One person winds off the silk with an instrument made of three pieces of stick joined together thus, the perpendicular one is held at one end with the right hand, and the left directs the thread over the cross bars—taking care in doing this to make it rub against the fore-arm to twist it—whilst an- other person attends to the fire and the putting on new cocoons. When a sufficient quantity for a skein has thus accumulated it is taken off the cross bars.
There are hardly any plantations of mulberry in Assam, on such a scale as to be worth mentioning; a few men of rank have small patches of it, sufficient to produce silk for their own use ;—the few ryuts that sell the silk generally have not more than a seer to dis- pose of in the year,—the produce of a few plants: round their huts or in the hedges of their fields. The leaves are not sold as in Bengal, and when aryut’s own supply fails, he obtains it from neighbors who have a few trees merely for the fruit. The worms are reared by joogees alone, people of an inferior caste :—those of the highest can cultivate the plant and do all the out-of-door work—but none but a joogee can, without degradation, attend to the worms or touch the silk whilst reeling. As the same prejudice does not exist in Ben-
——
Jour As. Soc The Lruw Silke worm and moth VoL VIFLV
Ch Tludson de. Kasinith Scudf.
ee
1837.) Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 23
gal, it must have been kept up purposely by the despotic rulers of the country, after mulberry cultivators were introduced, to ensure the use of the silk being confined to themselves and their courtiers—a selfishness which may be observed in many of their rules and pro- hibitions: this alone would have been a bar to the extension of the cultivation of the mulberry in Assam, were there not already greater facilities of obtaining silk from the mooga and eria worms. No mention is made of silk in the returns of the Hydra chowkey, I do not think half a maund of it altogether is exported in any shape— the price of it is eight or ten rupees a seer, but it is not readily procur- able. Mr. Scort, a few years ago, introduced from Rungpoor, reelers, reels and plants of the morus alba, and established a factory at Darang, with a view to extend the culture of mulberry silk, and im- prove the reeling of the mooga. Several causes rendered the expe- riment abortive, the want of European superintendence and Mr. Scorr’s untimely death being the principal ones*. Hria silk.i—The eria worm and moth differ from ‘the mulberry worm and moth in every respect, as will be better understood by the accompanying drawings and insects: like it, however, it goes through four different moultings, but its sickness in doing it lasts only twenty-four hours ; the last stage takes eight days, the others four. The duration of its life varies according to seasons: in summer. it is shorter, and the produce both greater and better; at ‘this season, from its birth to the time it begins its cocoon, twenty to twenty-four days expire, in fifteen more the moth comes forth, the eggs are laid in three days, and in five they are hatched, making the total duration of a breed forty-three to forty-seven days: in winter it is nearly two months; the number of breeds in the year are reckoned at seven. This worm is, like the mulberry worm, reared entirely within doors :
it is fed principally on the hera or palma-christi leaves, it eats the mulberry leaf also but is said to prefer the former; when the palma- christi leaves fail, they are also fed on those of several other trees known in this part of Assam by the following names :—
1. Kossool.
2. Hindoo gass.
3. Meekeerdal.
* From the opinions given by several merchants of Calcuééa on samples of Assam mulberry silk, reeled on Italian reels from worms properly fed and at- _tended to, I am led to believe this province exceedingly favorable to the produc- tion of very superior silk.—The samples sent down would have fetched the highest prices in the Calcutta market, and they were got up under the unfavorable cir- ‘eumstances of a rude experiment.—F, Junxins,
24 Remarks on the Silks of Assam. [Jan.
4. Okonnee. 5. Gomarree. 6
. Litta Pakoree. 7. Borzonolly.
The worms thrive best and produce most when entirely fed on the palma-christi—it is the only plant which is cultivated purposely for it, there is hardly one ryut who has not a small patch of it near his house or on the hedges of his fields—it requires little or no culture —the ground is turned up a little with the hoe and the seeds thrown in without ploughing; whilst the plant is young it is weeded once or twice, but it is afterwards left to itself. The plant is renewed every three years. On the leaves of Nos. 1 and 2, worms can be reared entirely, but they do not thrive well upon it, many die even after hav- ing begun the cocoons, and the few of these that are got are small and yield but little. These and the others are only used in the fourth or fifth stage when they are considered to answer quite as well as the palma-christi leaves. The kossool (No. 1) alone can be given alternate- ly with the palma-christi. The whole of these trees are found in the forests, but not cultivated.
To breed from, the Assamese select cocoons from those which have been begun in the largest number on the same day—generally the second or third day after cocoons have begun to be formed—those that contain males being distinguished by a more pointed end. These cocoons are put in a closed basket and hung up in the house out of reach of rats and insects. When the moths come forth they are allow- ed to move about in the basket for twenty-four hours; after which the females, (known only by the larger body) are tied to long reeds or canes, twenty or twenty-five to each, and these are hung up in the house. The eggs that have been laid the first three days amounting to about two hundred are alone kept, they are tied in a piece of cloth and sus- pended to the roof until a few begin to hatch—these eggsare white, and the size of turnip seed; when a few of the worms are hatched, the cloths are put on small bamboo platters hung up in the house, in which they are fed with tender leaves; after the second moulting they are removed to bunches of leaves suspended above the ground, under them upon the ground a mat is laid to receive them when they fall ; when they have ceased feeding they are thrown into baskets full of dry leaves, amongst which they form their cocoons, two or three being often found joined together.
The caterpillar is at first about a quarter of an inch in length, and ap- pears nearly black ; as it increases in size it becomes of an orange color, with six black spots on each of the twelve rings which form its body.
'
1637.) Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 25
The head, claws and holders are black; after the second moulting they change to an orange color, that of the body gradually becomes lighter, in some approaching to white, in others to green, and the black spots gradually become the color of the body; after the fourth and last moulting the color is a dirty white or a dark green : the white caterpillars invariably spin red silk, the green ones white. On attaining its full size the worm is about three and half inches long: unlike the mooga caterpillar, its colors are uniform and dull, the breathing holes are marked by a black mark—the moles have become the color of the body, they have increased to Jong fleshy points, without the sharp prickles the Mooga worm has ; the body has a few short hairs, hardly perceptible.
In four days the cocoons are complete; after the selection for the next breed is made, they are exposed to the sun for two or three days to destroy the vitality of the chrysalis. The hill tribes settled in the plains are very fond of eating the chrysalis—they perforate the cocoons the third day to get them, they do the same with the mooga and sell few cocoons imperforated.
The cocoons are put over a slow fire in a solution of potash, when the silk comes easily off: they are taken out and the water slightly pressed out: they are then taken one by one, loosened at one end and the cocoon put over the thumb of the left hand, with the right they draw it out nearly the thickness of twine, reducing any inequality by rubbing it between the index and thumb; in this way new cocoons are joinedon. The thread is allowed to accumulate in heaps of a quarter of aseer: it is afterwards exposed to the sun or near the fire to dry ; it is then made into skeins with two sticks tied at one end and opening like a pair of compasses: it is then ready to be wove unless it has to be dyed.
The dyes used are lac, munjeet and indigo, and the process of dy- ing is as follows.
Red Dye.—The lac after having been exposed to the sun to render it brittle, is ground and sieved as fine as possible: it is steeped twelve hours in water, after which the thread is thrown in with the leaves of a tree, called by the Assamese Litakoo—(Pierardia sapida? F. J.) When it has absorbed most of this mixture, it is taken out, put over two cross sticks, and shaken a short time to detach the threads well from each other: it is dried in the sun and the same process again gone through twice. When it is wished to increase the brightness of the color, itis again dyed with munjeet: the Jatteris dried in the sun and ground in the same way, it is steeped for forty-eight hours; the threads are put in and boiled in the same way, but with the leaves of a
E
26 Remarks on the Silks of Assam. [Jan.
different tree (the Koh): the thread is dried in the sun, and is ready for use. Nearly the same process is gone through for the blue : instead of the common indigo, they sometimes use the Room, which plant is, I believe, Ruellia callosa—also the leaves of a very large tree found in the forests, called by them Ooriam. The thread is wove as cotton. The different prices of the cloths and their use will be found in an annexed table; their clothes are mostly used for house consumption, a few are bartered with the Bhotias and other hill tribes. Large quan- tities were formerly exported to Lassa by merchants, known in De- rung as the ‘‘ Kampa Bhotias,’’—the quantity they used to take away, was very considerable, but in the latter years of the Assam raja’s rule, ’ from the disorganized state of the country, the number of merchants gradually deereased ; three years ago only two came after a long in- terval, one of them died, and I believe the trade has not again been revived: those two merchants complained that they could no more procure the cloths suited to their markets. No exports of it are men- tioned in the returns of the Hydra-chowkey. The quantity the country is capable of exporting under an improved management would be very large, for it forms at present the dress of the poorer classes at all seasons, and is used by the highest for winter wear. I have been unable yet to ascertain the quantity of this silk obtain- able from one aere of land, no man can tell me the extent of his plan- tation, or even the quantity of Eria thread he got in a year beyond this, that he had enough for the use of his family ; every ryut has a few plants round his house or farming hedges—which would at most amount to the twentieth part of an acre; so that for this to afford clothing for a family the produce must be very large indeed. Mooga Silk.—Although the mooga moth can be reared in houses, it is fed and thrives best in the open air and on the trees. ‘The trees which afford it food are known in Assam by the following names :— 1. Addakoory.
. Champa, (Michelia.}
. Soom.
. Kontooloa.
. Digluttee, (Tetranthera diglottica, Ham.)
. Pattee shoonda, (Laurus obtusifolia, ‘‘ Roxs.’’) 7. Sonhalloo, (Tetranthera macrophylla, ‘“‘ Roxs.’’)
Silk from No. 1. Addakoory—The Addakoory, the worms fed on which produce the Mazankoory mooga, is a middle-sized tree, used for rearing worms only when under four years. It sprouts up where forests have been cleared up for the cultivation of rice or cotton. The worms that are put on the tree.on the first year of their appearance
Den Bb c bo
1837.] Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 27
above the ground produce the best silk. The second year the crops are inferior in quality and quantity, and the third it is little if at all superior to the common mooga. The Mazankoory silk is nearly white, and its value fifty per cent. above that of the common fawn-colored.
The tending of the worms on this tree is much more laborious than on any of the others: young trees only being used, they have to be constantly removed to fresh ones: the smoothness of the bark also renders it necessary to help them in moving from branch to branch. This tree is more abundant in Upper than in Lower Assam—last year it was for the first time found to exist in the forests of the Morung, on the eastern boundary of this district: the Upper Assamese who are settled throughout this district (they form one-fourth or one-fifth of our population here), have never met with it in any other place.
No. 2. Champa.—The Champa is found, as the Addakoory, where forests have been cleared: the silk of the worms fed on it is called *< Champa pootia mooga.”’ It is held in the same estimation as the “« Mazankoory ;” 1 do not know whether it is also used when young — the tree is not met with in Lower Assam.
No. 3. Soom.—The Soom is found principally in the forests of the plains and in the villages, where the plantations of this tree are very ex- tensive. It attains a large size and yields three crops of leaves in the year : the silk produced by it is of a light fawn color, and estimated next to the Mazankoory: the plantations are most abundant in the eastern half of this district.
No. 4. Kontooloa.—This is a large tree found both in the hills and the plains—also a few in the villages: the leaves are too hard for young worms: they are reared on the preceding (No. 3), till the third moulting, and then put on this tree; by which process the silk obtained is stronger than that from worms reared entirely om. the Soom. :
No. 5. Digluttee.—A tree of a small size not much used on that account: the silk equal to that obtained from No. 3.
No. 6. Pattee shoonda.—Middle-sized tree, found principally in forests—few to be met with in the villages of Lower Assam—used when the leaves of No. 3 are done.
No. 7. Sonhalloo.—The Sonhalloo is found in the forests of the hills and plains, where it attains a very large size: it is also found in the villages, where in six years it attains its full growth (thirty feet) ; it is very abundant in the western portion of this district. Rara, Jumna,
Mookh, Jyntea, and the valley of Dhurmpoor—at the latter place,
-where the hill tribes of Mikirs and Kachdris clear dense forests for
the cultivation of rice and cotton, numbers of the plants spring up z 2
28 Remarks on the Silks of Assam. [JaNn.
spontaneously. After three or four years when the land getting poorer requires more tillage and the use of the plough, these tribes who only use the kar, or hoe, remove to new forests and leave behind them plantations of these trees, which they have used during the short period they have remained. To them, the ryuts of the more settled parts resort in the spring to rear up worms: the silk of the Son- halloo-fed worm is considered inferior to the preceding—more I be- lieve from its darker color than any other cause. There are generally five breeds of mooga worms in the year, they
are named after the months at which they generally occur.
1. Jarooa, in January and February.
2. Jeytooa, in May and June.
3. Aharooa, in June and July.
4. Bhodia, in August and September.
5. Khotia, in October and November. The first and last are the best crops as to quality and quantity. Nos. 3 and 4 yield so little and so inferior a silk, that they may be said to be merely for the purpose of continuing the breed. Were the Assa- mese acquainted with the process of retarding the hatching of the eggs as is practised in China, in regard to the mulberry silk-worm, they would, I think, find it more advantageous to have only three or four crops. |
The same rule is followed in the selection of cocoons to breed from
as in the Hria. They are put in a closed basket suspended from the roof: the moths as they come forth having room to move about, after a day the females (known only by their larger body). are taken out and tied to small wisps of thatching grass, taken always from over the hearth—its darkened color being thought more acceptable to the moth. If out of a batch there should be but few males, the wisps with the females tied to them are exposed outside at night: the males thrown away in the neighbourhood find their way to them: these wisps are hung on a string tied across the house to keep them from the lizards and rats. The eggs Jaid during the first three days (about 250) are the only ones thought worth the keeping: those laid on the two or three subsequent days are said to produce weak worms. The wisps are taken out morning and evening, and exposed to the side where the sun is shining: ten days after the laying of the eggs, a few of them are hatched: the wisps are then hung up to the tree, the young worms finding their way to the leaves—care must be taken that the ants have been destroyed, their bite proving fatal to the worm in its early stages. To effect this they rub the trunk of the tree with molasses and tie to it fish and dead toads. When large
1837.) Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 29
numbers have been attracted to one place they destroy them with fire ; this they do several times previously to the worms being put on; the ground under the trees must be kept clear of jungle to make it easy to find the worms that fall down—young trees are preferable until the second moulting.
To prevent the worms coming to the ground, fresh plantain leaves are tied round the trunk, over the slippery surface of which they can- not crawl. They are removed to fresh trees on bamboo platters tied to long poles.
Bats, owls, rats, are very destructive at night: in the day the worms require to be constantly watched—crows and other birds being so fond of them, that they lie in wait in the neighbouring trees. An old lady’s doze over her morning “ canee”’ (opium), however short, is sure to be fatal to several worms—the goolail which is always at hand often punishes the thief, but the mischief is done.
Numbers are destroyed in the more advanced stages by the sting of wasps—and by the ichneumon insect which deposits its eggs in their body. These are hatched when the cocoon is half formed: they per- forate it at the side and the chrysalis is found dead: the worms which have thus been stung are known by black marks on their body. Were the people more careful in their management, this would be of little consequence: by making these worms spin apart, the cocoon being formed before the chrysalis is killed, the silk could be saved.
The worms thrive best in dry weather: but a very hot sunny day proves fatal to many at the time of moulting. At these periods rain is very favorable, thunder storms do not injure them as they do the mulberry worm ; continual heavy-rains, (which are rarer in Assam than in Bengal) are hurtful by throwing them down—showers, however heavy, cause no great damage, they taking shelter under the leaves with perfect safety. The worms during their moultings remain on the branches, but when about beginning to spin they come down the trunk, the plantain leaves preventing their going further down they are collected in baskets, which are afterwards put under bunches of dry leaves suspended from the roof—they crawl up into these and form their cocoons—as with the Eria several are often joined together. The silk of these they spin instead of winding: above the plantain leaf a roll of grass is tied for those that come down during the night to begin spinning in—after four days the selection of cocoons for the next breed is made and the rest wound off.
The total duration of a breed varies from sixty to seventy days. The period is thus divided—four moultings, with one day’s illness Sean CAC) Pal sy) PLE. Pee PY AS POP BPODE Ya) BE ee 20
30 Remarks on the Silks of Assam. [Jan.
From fourth moulting to beginning of cocoon,.............. 10 dri: the eeeaan se cies Bisley cot danny. owkll. ade. Qe As A MmOtRy A Shee e). aes sla dan Tek tect. adage aie Hatehimeperiheier ass. o... ce lowes Seve. Plena s a
66
On being hatched the worm is about a quarter of an inch long, it appears composed of alternate black and yellow rings; as it increases in size the former are distinguished, as six black moles, in regular lines on each of the twelve rings which form its body. The colors gradually alter as it progresses, that. of the body becoming lighter, the moles sky-blue, then red with a bright. gold-colored rmg round each. When full grown the worm is above four inches long; its colors are most brilliant and varied in shades: the body appears transparent and is of a very light yellow or dark green color, with a brown and a yellow streak at the sides; in the latter the breathing holes are distinguished by a black speck: the moles are red and have each four sharp prickles and a few black hairs: the head and claws are of a light brown, the holders green and covered with short black hair; the last pair have a black ring on the outside. On being tapped with the finger the body renders a hollow sound; by the sound it is ascertained whether they have come down for want of leaves on the tree, or from their having ceased feeding.
The chrysalis not being soon killed by exposure to the sun, when they have many cocoons they put them on stages, cover them up with leaves and burn grass under them; the cocoons are then boiled for about an hour in a solution of the potash made from the dried stalks of rice, they are then taken out and laid on cloth folded over to keep them warm; from this they are taken. as required and thrown in hot water (not over the fire) after the floss has been removed with ‘the hand. The instrument used for winding off the silk is the coarsest imaginable: a thick bamboo about three feet long is split in two, and the pieces driven equally in the ground two feet apart: over the interior projection of one of the knots is laid a stick, to which is fixed, a little on one side, a round piece of plank about one foot in diameter —the rotary motion is given by jerking this axle, on which the thread rolls itself: in front of the vessel holding the cocoons a stick is fixed horizontally for the thread to travel upon. ‘Two persons are employed—one attending the cocoons, the other jerks the axle with the right hand and with the same hand directs the thread up the left forearm, so that it is twisted in coming down again towards the hand ; ‘the left hand directs the thread over the axle. Fifteen cocoons is the
Tour: As. Soe.
Vol VIPL.VI
| Lhe Joree Silk. moth Bombyx religuos
Mo onga Silk worm
- by meron.
and moth
—_
~]
Sica re rtp ieee ea oa : an Oi TO
aree prea
( (
CK. Hudson C les
Ka. math: wo) y uf
Rr ia
» = Pn a) re aes Geyer ‘ tthe er 7 ; ’
1837.] Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 31
smallest number they can wind off in one thread, twenty the number generally; even the last is often broken from the coarseness of the instrument used, although the fibre is much stouter than that of the mulberry silk. When nearly a quarter of a seer has accumulated on the axle, it is dried in the sun and made into skeins of one or two rupees weight. This is done with a small bamboo frame set in motion by the common spinning machine of the country: if it has to be dyed the same process is followed as with the Hria. The cloths usually made of mooga and their use will be found in the annexed table: besides those, I have seen it used as the warp with cotton, and the cloth so made is a little lighter color than nankin and much stronger ; but this is seldom done, from the trouble of spinning the cotton fine enough. Cotton twist adapted to that purpose would, I think, meet a ready market.
The exact quantity of silk which an acre of mooga trees can produce could not be ascertained without atrial. Fifty thousand cocoons per acre*, which makes upwards of twelve seers, are considered by the Assamese a good yearly return. Sixty rupees the value of twelve seers must be a very profitable one, for there is little labor or expense to the ryut in making or keeping up a plantation : whilst the trees are young, the ground is available for cultivation besides rearing worms ; sugar- cane, rice, pulse, &c. are cultivated with benefit rather than injury to the young trees. The tax is fourteen annas the acre in this district. The great value of the mooga is, that it enables the weaker members of a family to contribute as much as the most robust to the welfare of the whole. Besides attending to the worms most of them weave, spin or make baskets, while watching them.
From causes which I have been unable to ascertain, and of which the natives are ignorant, the mooga some years failed so complete- ly in particular districts that none was left to continue the breed. There being very few weekly Aauts or markets to resort to, to procure cocoons for breeding from the more fortunate people of other districts, a failure of this kind in one place is sensibly felt for two or three years after in the production. The time of the ryut, who has at most half or a quarter of an acre of mooga trees, is too valuable to allow of his being absent for a month and more, going from village to village, and house to house to find out the people who have cocoons for sale. This last season in our Jumna-mikh (Cachar) pergunnah the mooga
* An Assamese Poorah of land is a little more than an English statute acre, and such lands hitherto have not been taxed, or at a very low rate, if cultivated with other crops besides the mooga.
32 Remarks on the Silks of Assam. [Jan.
was a complete failure; there are no worms on the trees now, from inability to procure cocoons, although there was a very abundant crop in two pergunnahs at the opposite end of the district.
The mooga plantations are principally round the ryuts’ houses, and are included in house-lands. By this year’s measurement of the Barree lands in the three divisions of the Nowgong zillah where the land tax obtains, the quantity in actual occupation (exclusive of those which being unclaimed have reverted to the state) amounts to 5350 acres: the proportion of mooga plantations is upwards of one-fourth or 1337 acres. In the five other divisions of the same zillah, which are three times the area, and have more than double the population, but of which we have no accurate measurements, I will only venture to estimate the quantity of mooga plantations at half that of the other three or about 600 acres, but on this low calculation there would bea total of 2000 acres for Nowgong. Estimating the plantations of the Derung and Kamrip zillahs at only 1500 acres each, there would be a total of 5000 acres of those plantations in Lower Assam, exclusive of what the forests contain of them: this quantity is capable of pro- ducing in one year 1500 maunds. In Upper Assam 1 understand the plantations are more extensive than ours.
4. Kontkirt Mooga.—This worm feeds on many trees besides the ‘“mooga trees ;” and the seemul, (Bombar heptaphyllum,) but not in great quantities. The worms, moths and cocoons are considerably larger than any of the others ; indeed the cocoon is the size of a fowl’s egg. Several Assa- mese told me they had vainly attempted to domesticate them; the
it is found oftener on the bair, (Zizyphus jujuba,)
eggs have been hatched, but after observing the worms for a few days on the trees they have at once disappeared. They attributed this to its being a ‘‘ dewang”’ or spirit; the real cause may probably be its being fond of changing its food, and gifted with greater locomotive powers than the generality of the silk-worms. I have been told by some Bengalees that it is found in Bengal in the wild state on the ’ it is there reeled off like the mulberry silk and much valued for fishing lines, but not
wove, probably from its scarcity. The fibre is stronger than that of
“bair’ as in Assam, and called ‘‘ Gootee-poka;’
the mooga and of a lighter color.
5. Deo Mooga.—I accidentally became acquainted with this worm, which is very little known to the natives and entirely in the wild state. Three years ago being employed in Jumna-miukh (Cachar), I had occasion to take some bearings, for which purpose I had a white cloth put up on a large “ Bur” tree, (Ficus Indica ;) the year after, being near the same spof, the ryuts came and told me that two months after
1837.] Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 33
{ left (April), they observed that the tree had lost all its foliage, they went to it and found in the surrounding grass and dry leaves, a large number of small cocoons; these they spun like the eria out of curio- sity and used it with the latter. They took no further notice of suc- ceeding breeds, finding the thing of little present use. I lost a few cocoons which I procured at the time, but have lately seen both the worm and the coceon, the former is quite different from any other; it is more active, its length is under 24 inches, the body very slender in proportion to its length, the color reddish and glazed. I could not observe them more particularly, as they were brought to me one evening at dusk: I put them in a box, with the intention of exa- mining them the next morning, but they disappeared during the night, although it was open very little to admit the air. The moth is very much like that of the mulberry, so is the cocoon also in appearance, color and size; I have questioned many of the natives about this worm, but none had ever seen it before—their opinion of it is that it is a “dewang” (spirit) brought there by the prismater compass and the white flay—this made them call it de mooga.
The haumpottenee, a caterpiller very common in Assam (and else- where perhaps), may also be mentioned as one of the varieties of the species, although it forms but a very imperfect cocoon: it feeds on most leaves. I have had no opportunity yet of observing it myself ; but am told by the natives that it goes through similar stages to the others; the worm is about two inches long, of a brown color and covered with hair, the moth of the same color as the mooga moth but only half the size; the cocoon has this peculiarity, that it is quite transparent, so that the chrysalis can be seen inside ; at one end of it a small opening is left—the cocoon is of a yellow color—it can be spun like the eria cocoon, but the Assamese do not use it, on account of its silk causing a severe itching in wearing.
I have questioned several Bengalees settled in Assam and who have been at Midnapur, regarding the identity of the mooga and tussur ; they say that the worm is the same, but that at the latter place they are fed on a different tree: the point could be better ascertained by a comparison with the drawings and preserved worms which accompany these remarks. The Burmese envoys who have just left Assam told me that the mooga was unknown in their country previous to the conquest of Assam ; but that it had since been introduced by the Assamese who were carried off and settled in the Burmese territory : the Cacharis also admit that it is not many years since it was introduced into Cachar, {south of the hills.) In Cooch Behar both it and the eria are almost unknown to this day; the prevailing opinion amongst the natives of
F
34 Remarks on the Silks of Assam. (Jan.
these parts is, that both species (mooga and eria) are indigenous to Upper Assam and were introduced from thence. It has always appeared to me that the production of these silks is greater as one advances to the east—it is to this day procurable more abundantly in Upper Assam than any where else, especially in the district of Lukinpoor on the north bank of the Burkampootur.
Little eria is exported, but the mooga forms one of the principal exports of Assam; the average of the quantity passed at Gowalpara during the two last years that duties were levied, was two hundred and fifty-seven maunds, valued at fifty-six thousand and fifty-four rupees: it leaves the country principally in the shape of. thread. Most of it going to Berhampoor, it is probable that the cloths made from it pass under the name of tussur; the latter as far as I recollect, appears to have less gloss. The Hydra chowkey returns comprise only the products exported by water. The total quantity that leaves the pro- vince may, I think, be estimated at upwards of three hundred maunds, for mooga forms also a portion of the traffic with Silhet (across the hills) the Cassyas, Bhotias, and other hill tribes. The Assamese gene- rally keeping more for their own use than they sell, the total quantity produced in the province may be reckoned at six or seven hundred maunds. It has been in great demand in Bengal, for within the last few years, although the production has been greater from the more settled state of the country, the price has risen 20 per cent. When I first arrived in this district, it could be obtained without difficulty from the ryuts at three and a half to four rupees the seer ; now it is difficult to procure it at five rupees. The competition is so great, that the traders pay for it in advance, not as with other products, to get it at a lower rate, but merely to secure their getting it. This competition is also owing to the greater number of small traders who resort to the province since the abolition of chowkeys—which may have caused a rise on the price of the product in Assam without a corresponding increase in the exports. ,
No gradual improvement can be traced in the mode of rearing the several worms or winding their silk—it is now what it was a century ago, there being no European speculators in Assam, nor it being pro- bable that when any venture so far they would readily risk the capi- tal in quite a new branch of industry. This important product of the country is likely to remain for years unimproved, unless the subject should again be taken up by. Government. The small factory set up by the late Mr. Scorr, to which I have before alluded, was kept up too short a time to have had any perceptible effect. Mr. Scott’s declining health and numerous duties never allowed him to give it a
1837.]} Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 35
moment’s personal attention, nor could his assistant do it, having then the same work to do which now employs several officers ; the factory was therefore left entirely under the direction of natives. These, to add to their own importance, rather increased, than alleviated the fears that the Assamese, (who had labored under so many restrictions,) naturally entertained of imitating or using any thing pertaining or appropriated to the ‘‘ Raja;” such a presumption in the good old times might have cost a man his ears or his nose. The residence of European officers in different parts of the country having undeceived the people as to those restrictions, there would be now great facilities in introducing improvements—although the ryuts individually have not the means of getting reeling machines, however simple and cheap, they would, as with sugar-mills, club together to obtain them, were it only shewn to them that there was any advantage, in the use of them. Mooga thread is every day increasing in value; I have marked its rise from three rupees eight annas, to five rupees in the short space of three years ; in Gowalpara it sells at six rupees eight annas or seven rupees; in Dacca and Moorshedabad at eight rupees. This is, I believe, not more than thirty per cent. below mulberry silk in Calcutta ; the primitive process of the Assamese which I have described will, perhaps, shew a possibility of this difference being made up by superior man- agement. The mooga silk could be used in colored fabrics, being easily dyed. In its.natural fawn color it stands washing much better than silk, keeping gloss and color to the last; the natives bleach it with a solution of the potash made from plantain trees, this they also use in washing their cloths, both cotton and silk : soap was unknown previous to the British occupation of the country.
Another object of great interest, which might become of great importance to this province, is, to ascertain the possibility of rendering the erta marketable in some shape or other ; the way of preparing it (already described,) is such that the cloth made of it when new looks as rough as “ taut’ (or gunny) ; it is only by repeated washings that it attains a softness of feel and gloss which approach that of silk. It is highly improbable that amongst the natives, repeated trials should not have been made of reeling instead of spinning these cocoons, but from their failing it would be wrong to lay it down as an impossibi- lity: they have merely tried it as other cocoons and given it up when they found that the fibre “ did not come,’’ as one of them told me. I had it tried before me with a few cocoons, but with the greatest care the fibre could not be drawn off beyond a few yards without breaking, the cause of this appeared to me to be a greater adhesive- ness in the fibre than with other cocoons, it was drawn off with difi-
F 2
36 Remarks on the Silks of Assam. (Jan.
culty and with a crackling noise—until it brought several layers with it, from which it could not be detached without breaking, some thing may perhaps be hereafter found to reduce that adhesiveness. It is, I think, unlikely that the worm should spin in a different way from all others, allowing this to be the case, great improvements could be made in the spinning, by, no doubt, the introduction of the process in practice in Europe to spin perforated cocoons, from its cheapness it would perhaps be advantageously used with wool—especially in stock- ings, it would add softness and gloss without taking from the warmth, the cocoons costing only one rupee, the thread two rupees per seer.
Although I have been unable to form an estimate of the land taken up on the cultivation of the ‘‘ hera’” or palma-christi, a very rough one could be made of the total quantity of erta silk produced by referring to the population; it being the daily wear of the poor, and besides, being used by every class in winter. The population is reckoned at 455,000*, therefore estimating the yearly consumption of each indi- vidual at the lowest, the total quantity produced would be upwards of 1000 maunds, most of this could be exported if it acquired the least additional value by better management, and be replaced by other manufactures and by an increase in the growth of cotton. The pro- duct would keep pace with any increase of demand, for there is hardly a house in the country where these worms are not reared.
Being acquainted only with central Assam and this district in par- ticular, Upper Assam, the Moamariya country, the Bhotan territories in the plains are left out of these remarks and estimatest. Although the population assimilates, m many respects they may differ in their different processes. J have used as few local terms as I could except with regard to the tree and plants whose botanical name I have not been able to ascertain.
P.S. In the within Mr. Hucown has said nothing of another silk worm which was lately discovered on a pipul tree (F. religiosa)—and of the moth of which a drawing accompanies with three or four cocoons, a chrysalis andtwo moths. This looks very like the mulberry moth, but I am not able to say whether itis or not. The silk looks very fine
* By the statistical report of 1835,—Kamroop district, ........... 280,000 SHAT CUG ss cles so cictoa Satsio sis ae lr ee eisisie leis lsa.c's «sales sin else oie ep ieteeeene MOMS OTR GILG E: bb conc hope pobodocuIchionponb oD ooiotogidocsdoios Sl vu
+ The population of Upper Assam is estimated at, .........+e+++-- 220,000 Moamariya,...... BE REST MNa si Me Seren bia dele vette Pele tee, severe s a CeO RU UG
270,000 Toolaram’s country, Jyuntia,......
Bhotan territory in the plains,........ sea mo. entimate, 3a eyer/made,
1837.) Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 37
and it may be considered a curiosity even if it be the produce of a mulberry worm, for the question arises on what was the worm fed ?—if on the F. religiosa, it is, I believe, a discovery, that the silk worm would feed on the Jeaf of any tree but the mulberry ; if the worm is distinct from the Bombyx mori it is a still greater curiosity.
Mr. Hueon has been unable to determine whether the worm now alluded to, is the same as the deo mooga mentioned within: he is in- clined to think not from the color of the cocoons and the slight obser- vations he was able to make on the latter; but from both feeding on the leaves of two trees so nearly allied, I should suppose it likely that the worms were identical. It would be a discovery of some import- ance to find worms affording any tolerable silk that fed on these species of Ficus which are so abundant here.—F. Jenxrns.
List of the Cloths made in Assam of Mooga and Eria Silks.
Price of| Cost of Names of | Size in | Weight. |Thread. |Weaving| Total.
Cloth. Cubits. | | —— Remarks. Seer./Chk.|/R. A. P.|R. A. P.JR. A. P. Mooga. 3 Soorias,....| 7 by 14; 0 Garp aay oMorrst oan 120 : Diteeats..16 2 101 | O15 \e O06 ol 50.8 o| | Dhoties. Mekla, -.ec| 5 5, 12/0 ara te 4 OOF 2) Ol G 0 Petticoats. RUhtay cto es 122) 5, TE O § |}2 8 010 4 OO} 2 12 OScarfs. Gaursha, ../ 8 ,, 1 0 2 }010 0; 0 3 O} 011 O;}Worn as turbans or round the waist. Joonta Bor Cappor,..|12 ,, 23} 1 0 |2 0 0|0 6 OO} 2 6 O/Made of the floss and worn in winter. Eria.
Bor Cappor,/16 by3]} 1 8 |}3 0 0}0 8 0} 3 8 O/Worn in winter and used as a blanket, al- so made into coats.
Meklas,....| 5 5, 2 0 6 0 12 0/0 2 0} 0 14 0 Rhia,....../10 ,, 13} 0 | 8 1/1 0 oo 2 of 1 2 of $ Used only by the Gaursha, ..| 8 ,, 3| 0 4108 010 2 olo10 o poorer class.
Memorandum upon the specimens of Silk, and Silkworm from Assam, by W. Prinsep, Esq.
The mooga or tussur cocoons, are very fine, particularly those fed from the soom and the sohaloo trees which are superior to the pro- duce of the jungles about Bankoora.
The thread from these worms, is quite equal to that which is used in the best China tussur cloths.
The specimens of cloth wove from these threads, are not equal, however, either to the Bengal tussur cloth, nor to the China cloth of the same description.
The erta cocoon, thread, and cloth are all new to us: I have never seen them in Bengal, except now and then a few pieces of the cloth
38 . On the indigenous Silkworms of India. (Jan.
imported from Rungpur ; it appears to be more cottony than the tussur, and to make a web warmer and softer than the tussur cloth, but it is not so strong. .
The cocoons called haumpottonee are unknown to us in Bengal, and appear to be of small value both as to quantity and texture: moreover I imagine it would be very difficult to reel them into thread.
The deo mooga cocoons are very small but are fine and soft, and when fresh would yield, 1 doubt not, a very delicate white thread : they are smaller than our désee (country) cocoon.
The specimen of country worm silk is very fair, and if dressed would be quite equal to our Patna thread, from which korahs and other silk piece goods are made.
The specimen of iron reel (or station method) is very good, indeed, equal to our best native filature letter A: the thread is even, soft, sound and remarkably strong, so that it may be well ranked with our best second quality from the filatures of Bengal.
IV.—On the indigenous Silkworms of India. By T. W. Heurur, M.D. Member of the Medical Faculties at the Universities in Prague and Pavia, Member of the Entom. Society in Paris, &c.
[Read at the Meeting of the 4th December. ]
Silk was in all times an article of the greatest importance throughout the ancient world.
China gained its celebrity in the classical time of the ancients, as the mother-country of that mysterious texture, which it manufactured from time immemorial, with a high degree of perfection, and called se or ser; whence all India and its eastern unknown boundaries derived the name Serira.
It made the satraps of the western world, the rulers of Rome and the emperors of Byzani, envious of its possession, and the home brought golden fleece of the fabulous Argonautes, was perhaps nothing else than the precious web of the Bombykia.
The emperor JusTIN1aNus got an insight into the secret by two adventurous Persian monks, who brought the eggs of the Chinese silkworm in a hollow bamboo cane, safe over the icy chains of the Himdlaya, the barren plains of Bokhara, and the ruggy mountains of Persia, to the distant eastern capital. He considered it a point of great importance to reserve to himself the monopoly of such a pre- cious article, though master of the riches of his vast empire.
1887.] - On the indigenous Silkworms of India. 39
The Sicilians in the time of Roger the first, became a wealthy people by its introduction into Palermo—the Venetians were enabled by the trade of silk chiefly, to build their immortal maritime bulwark, and in our days the introduction and manufacture of silkworms is a source of unlimited riches to the countries of Hurope, where it is cultivated on a large scale.
To elucidate this it may be observed, that France alone exported in the year 1820, wrought silk to the value of more than 123 millions of francs.
The importation of raw and worked silk into England, amounted to 4,547,812 pounds in the year 1828, of which about 1,500,000 pounds were brought from Bengal, 3,047,000 pounds were, therefore, brought from foreign countries, chiefly Italy and Turkey.
The northern parts of Europe and chiefly England are less suited for its cultivation on account of climate.
Great Britain, France and Germany, finding by experience, that the demand is constantly greater than the supply, resorted to different substitutes. é
Different substances presenting analogies to that beautiful filament were examined. The spider’s web was tried in France, first by Mr. Bon: but Mr. Reaumur found that the war-like propensities of the Arachnide hindered their being reared in great numbers, and this enterprize has been in our days entirely abandoned.
Men resorted to the Mollusca and found that the maritime pinna gives a filament like silk, having the power to produce a viscid matter which it spins round the body. A beautiful and very durable silk was produced from it, the Byssus of the ancients, but it was always dearer than the common silk of the Bombyz mori, and though to this day caps, gloves and stockings are woven from it in Calabria in Sicily (I saw myself a considerable manufacture of it in Palermo), it will probably remain for ever a matter of curiosity rather than an article of general use.
In Germany endeavours have been made in the time of Rosset, and recently in Styria, to make silk from the cocoons of the Saturnia pyri, a moth which is common in Austria and in the subalpine parts of the Tyrol and Switzerland: but hitherto the experiments have been too few; more partitularly, as I heard, on account of the delicate cater- pillar, which dies if not fed with the greatest promptitude with the under leaves of different kinds of pear trees.
A discovery, therefore, which promises to prove not so abortive as those now quoted, must be of the greatest importance.
The vast provinces of India are rivalled in variety, preciousness
40 On the indigenous Silkworms of India. (Jan.
and perfection of their productions, only by those of the celestial empire. Now inthe hands of an enlightened benevolent government, they will probably surpass it ina short time, when its natural resources, daily more conspicuous, shall be discovered, examined, and brought in to general use. ;
As in China, so in India, silk has been produced since time imme- morial ; not the silk of the later introduced mulberry caterpillar, but the silk from various indigenous cocoons, which are found only and exclusively here.
The first notice of these, but only in a cursory way, has been given by the father of Indian botany, Dr. Roxsureu, in the Transactions of the Linnean Society, vol. vii.
He there mentioned only two species, the Phalena (Altacus) (Saturnia) paphia and Phalena cynthia. Since that time no further attention has been paid to this subject except that Dr. Bucnanan, in his description of the district of Dinajpur, says, that another silkworm is reared on the castor oil plant for the domestic use of the natives.
From the moment of my arrival in India, I had paid an unremitted zealous attention to the productions of Botany and Zoology, and had been so happy to identify in the course of two months, two other species of the genus Saturnia which yield silk, one from Silhet the other from Bankoora. Just at this time Mr. James Prinsmp received from Captain Jenxins in Assam, a memoir by Mr. Hucown on the silk- worms of that newly acquired, remarkable province, establishing six different kinds of silkworm: the cocoons of four of which are now transformed into silk by the inhabitants of Assam, and to my great joy and surprise, I found that three of them are different from the well-known Bombyx mori, and from the two other indigenous which are worked in Bengal. _
These recent discoveries merit particular attention. India has thus the internal means of providing the whole of Europe with a material which would rival cotton and woollen cloth, and would be preferred in many cases to both, if brought within the reach of every one by a lower price: and an unlimited resource of riches and revenue might be opened under proper management.
May it be now permitted to me to go through the numerous differ- ent species of India which actually produce silk of which seven kinds have never been mentioned before.
1. Bombyx mori, the mulberry silkworm, which has been probably introduced as the mulberry seems to be an acclimated plant, is too well known to deserve a particular mention.
2. The wild silkworm of the Central provinces, being described
1837.] On the indigenous Silkworms of India. 41
as a moth not larger than the Bombyx mori. I could not yet procure specimens of it : probably there are several species of Bombyx confused, as the silk, which sometimes comes in trade, varies. considerably.
3. The Joree silkworm, Bombyx religiose, mihi.—I am sorry to say that the specimens of this interesting moth have been destroyed on their way from Assam to Calcutta, so that I am obliged. to make a superficial description from the accompanying drawing, (Pl. VI.) excluding a diagnostical analysis.
Genus, Bombyz.
Length about 14 of an inch.
Antenne, pectinated.
Head, small, covered.
Eyes, very large, brownish black.
Palpi, unknown.
Thorax, subquadrate, covered with thick brownish grey hair, with a black band separating the abdomen from the thorax.
Abdomen, represented as having eight segments ?
Legs, unknown.
Wings, upper wings very short (in ¢ imperfect) triangular, with the acute angle outward. The interior side emarginated. Of a light grey color which darkens towards the extremity.
An interrupted whitish band on the lower margin with a large whitish speck towards the ends.
Lower wings uniformly brown.
The cocoon of this silkworm shows the finest filament, and has very much silky lustre. It is exceedingly smooth to the touch and very different from the cocoon of the mulberry tree.
This discovery of Capt. Jenx1ns is very interesting, as it yields a silk if not superior yet certainly equal to that of Bombyx mort.
It lives upon the pipul tree, (Ficus religiosa.) Its general intro- duction would be very easy, as the pipul tree grows abundantly over all India.
Specimens of cocoons sent a second time by Captain Jznx1ns, con- vince me that the Joree and Deo-mooga are the same species.
4. Saturnia Silhetica, mihi. (Longitudo pollices novem, sive lineas 108 alarum superiorum expansarum.)
Diagnosis. Pectinicornis, alis superioribus apice recurvata falcatis, inferioribus oblongis. Alis superioribus maculis duabus fenestralibus, interna triangulari magna alter4 externa multé minori oblong4, in- ferioribus macula eddem una versus corpus triangulari magna. Colore cinamomeis lineis variegater albidis in medio ad marginem externam flavis.
Gc
42 On the indigenous Silkworms of India. [Fan.
Eggs, larva, and chrysalis, unknown. Imago. Description.
Head, projecting with a crest of yellow hairs.
Eyes, middle-sized, light brown.
Antenne, pectinated, about five lines broad, yellow.
Palpi, four, not covering the inner vermilar, brownish colored.
Mouth, hidden, without proboscis.
Thorax, obovate, clothed in a velvet-like purplish fine hair of the same color as the wings.
Abdomen, very short, clothed with much finer and lighter hair than the thorax.
Legs, hairy, yellow, equal.
Tarsi, moderately incurved.
Wings, horizontal expanded, with strong ramifications of the central rnuscles and tendons.—Superior pair of a cinnamon color. The end much curved, the upper margin with a beautiful velvet-like grey belt. Fan edges very much concave, the exterior extremity of a beautiful rose color. The inferior margin darker yellow, with an undulating narrow thread-like black line, losing itself towards the exterior ex- tremity. In the centre is the eye, peculiar to all saturnie, with micace- ous transparency, triangular, with the sharp angle towards the body, another small oblong transparent point behind it, both with a dark brownish margin round it. Inferior or second pair, in point of distribu- tion of colors the same ; in form, much more convex, oblong. The hair very thick and long towards the body, and more particularly towards the point of insertion. The black line is not undulated, but follows the shape of the wing, and has at each side of the projecting tendons two black oblong spots, circumscribed with light yellow.
Habitat in the Cassia mountains in Silhet and Dacca, where its large cocoons are spun to silk. A particular description of the pro- cess is wanted.
5. A still larger Saturnia, one of the greatest moths in existence, measuring ten inches from the end of one wing to the other, observed by J. W. Grant, Esq. in Chirra Punjee, seen in the possession of the late Dr. James Cuarx. I have not yet seen the animal.
6. Saturnia Paphia, Linn. Syst. Nat. 2, p. 809, 4. Phalena Mylitta, Drury, vol. ii. t. 5, f. 1, Mar. Roxs. Trans. Linn, Soc. vol. vil. p. 33.
The Tusseh Silkworm.
It is the most common in use of the native silkworms. The cloth so commonly worn by Europeans also in this country, comes from this species; J. W. Grant, Esq. had the kindness to procure me, in
1837.] On the indigenous Silkworms of India. 43
the month of September, more than 3000 cocoons, which I permitted to slip out, and had ample opportunity of studying them.
Micuart Atkinson, Esq. from Jangypur says, that this species cannot be domesticated, because the moths take flight, before the females are fecundated. This is against my experience: I kept them under a musquito curtain to prevent their evasion, there they were impregnated readily by the males, and deposited every where many thousand eggs, and the young caterpillars issued the tenth day. Therefore the fear entertained of the difficulty in this respect seems to be easily overcome.
Hitherto has this silkworm never been reared, but millions of cocoons are annually collected in the jungles and brought to the silk factories near Calcutta, for instance Dhaniakhali ; but the principal place of their manufacture is at Bhagelpur. In other parts as at Jangypur the people gather them from the trees and transplant them on the Assem tree, (Terminalia alata, Roxs.) which growing near the houses enables them easily to watch the caterpillars, which are eagerly searched out and devoured in the day time by crows, and at night by bats, &c.
The natives distinguish two varieties, the bughy and the jaroo, but they are the same species.
They feed most commonly in the wild state on the bair tree, (Zizyphus jujuba,) but like also and indeed prefer the Terminalia alata and Bomba heptaphyllum.
This is the same moth which is also found sometimes in Assam and which Mr. Hueon calls Kontkuré mooga.
Though it was known in Europe by the publications of Dr. Rox- spurGH and Dr. Bucuanan, that the Tusseh and Arrindy silkworms are existing and indigenous, yet, strange enough, it was hitherto unknown, (at least with us on the continent,) that for some years past, their silk was only in small quantity exported to Hngland; this silk having been considered as an inferior quality to that produced by Bombyx mori. The question of the possibility of acclimation of these larve in other congenial climates has ex ipso never been raised.
7. Another Saturnia distinct from all others (alis inferioribus in caudam desinentibus) ; it resembles some species which I saw brought from Seva,? Java.
I could only procure the wings of this remarkable insect.
The moth comes from the neighborhood of Comercolly.
8. Saturnia Assamensis, (mihi.)—Long. alar. sup. extensarum 60 —65 linear.
G 2
44 On the indigenous Silkworms of India. {Jan.
Diagn. Pectinicornis, alis superioribus apice acutis subfaleatis, in inferioribus subtriangularibus maculis duabus subcircularibus non diaphanis luteis. Color lateritis—luteus, nebulis sparsis obscuris lineis semicircularibus versus corpus duabus albis fascia albida brunnea versus marginem inferiorem.
Eggs, larva, and chrysalis, not seen living, but recognizable in the accompanying drawing. (See Moonga moth, Plate VI.)
Head, not projecting, with a tuft of reddish yellow hair.
Eyes, ordinary dark-brown.
Antenne, pectinated in @, broader than usual in Saturnie.
Palpi, four, covering the mouth which is invisible.
Thorax, square, half oblong, clothed near the head in a silverish grey color, forming a continuity of that in the upper margin of the superior wings, the behind part of the color of the wings.
Abdomen, more than two-thirds of the breadth of both wings in their natural position, likewise of the color of the wings. .
Legs, slender, hairy, yellow, short. .
Tarsi, slight and incurved.
Wings, horizontally expanded, with a strong tendon directing the membrane of the upper wings in their upper margin. :
Both pairs of a dark yellow somewhat reddish color. The end in the male much curved, the upper margin half from the body, of a silver grey color. The exterior extremity scarcely differently marked ; a brown slightly undulated band, accompanied on both sides by a white line, extends across the wings more than two-thirds below their insertion on the thorax. Several brown nubecule are to be observed between the divisions of each tendon. Two semilunar white lines are to be observed on the upper wings, and are absolutely on the lower ones towards the abdomen; the interior larger, inwards curved; the other shorter, outward bound. The two specks on the wings, peculiar to Saturnia, are almost semicircular, but not micaceous, diaphanous ; but likewise clothed with yellow squame of a darker line (more in ¢) with a brown margin on the inner side. Through this distinguishing peculiarity this insect seems to make a transit to a next genus, though the drawing of the larva represents completely a saturnia caterpillar.
The cocoon of a yellow brown color differs in appearance from all the others.
We are indebted for the discovery of this very interesting insect to Captain Jenxrns and Mr. Hueon. Its particulars are extensively described in Mr. Huaon’s memorandum. This: species has never been mentioned before, though the fabrication of silk from it seems to be very common amongst the Assamese.
or
1837.] On the indigenous Silkworms of India. 4
9. Phalena Cynthia, Drury, 2, t. 6,f. 2. Cram. 4, t. 39, f. 4. Roxs. Linn. Trans. vol. vii. p. 42. Bucwanan, Desc. Dinajpur, p. 214. _ (BucHanan quotes it as Phalena Penelope unde ?)
The Arrindy Arria, or Eria silkworm (Pl. V.) is reared over a great part of Hindustan, but more extensively in the districts of Dindjpur and Rangpur, in houses, in a domesticated state, and feeds chiefly on the leaves of Ricinus communis.
The silk of this species has hitherto never been wound off, but people were obliged to spin it like cotton.
“It gives a cloth of seemingly loose coarse texture, but of incre- dible durability ; the life of one person being seldom sufficient to wear out a garment made of it, so that the same piece descends from mother to daughter.” —(Atkinson’s letter to Roxburgh.)
It is so productive as to give sometimes 12 broods of spun silk in the course of the year. The worm grows rapidly, and offers no difficulty whatever for an extensive speculation.
On account of the double profit which would be derived from the same area of land cultivating it with castor-oil plant, which produces oil and feeds the worm, an extensive cultivation of this species would be highly recommendable; and if also the cloth is of the coarsest nature, it is, on the other hand, very valuable on account of its durabi- lity. May it not be particularly well adapted to mix it in certain textures with cotton ?
It is likewise an inhabitant of Assam, and Mr. Hugon’s observations about this species form an interesting paragraph in his memorandum.
10. Saturnia (?) trifenestrata, mihi.—Longitudo lineas 24—28. Diagnosis. 9 obscure castaneo brunnea versus finem albido adspersa, linea transversali albidd, alis superioribus ad marginem externam fenestris tribus transparentibus linea diagonali versuscorpuscurrentibus.
f luteus linea brunneda transversali transversé super alas currente, alz superiores margine externo fuscescentes.
Fags, whitish-yellow ; indented 1 line on the longer circumference.
Larva, unknown.
Chrysalis, unknown, (damaged.)
Cocoon, yellow, in a network, transparent, so that the cocoon in the inside is to be seen, of a remarkable silky lustre.
Imago. 9 of an uniform brown color; towards the end of the wings the like with white flower powdered. An obsolete whitish line runs transversely. The most remarkable in this insect are three glass eyes on the upper wings, beginning from the tendon of the insertion lower than the middle of the wing, and running one behind the other inwards
46 On the indigenous Silkworms of India. [Jan.
towards the extremity of the body. The first looks like two, which run together, the second is the smallest.
ft of a uniform yellow color, only the outward margin of the wings is brownish, and a transversal line turns over the wings. The glass eyes are wanted, one of the three is a vestige, instead of the two others are two brown spots to be observed.
In those specimens which I saw were gradual transitions from dark brown to light yellow in different individuals to be observed, but always were the females much darker.
This is likewise a valuable discovery of Captain Jenxins in Assam, where it lives on the soon tree, but seems to be not much used.
11. Henry Creiecaton, Esq. of Malda, mentions another silk- worm :—
‘‘There is a cocoon produced wild upon the mango tree, which the people of Malda gather and mix with Arrindy cocoons in spinning.” This species seems to have remained hitherto unobserved.
There is no doubt, that in India exist some more insects, which furnish this precious material. The repeated and so often frustrated endeavours of ingenious men in Europe would certainly find in India an ample and highly remunerating field in this branch of speculation.
It would be very interesting to collect all moths which form cocoons, amounting, to judge by analogy, probably to upward of 150 species, to watch their natural economy, and to send specimens of each cocoon to Europe, to be there attentively examined.
Many have made the objection that the silk of the Indian species is much inferior.
This is yet an undecided question. The mulberry silkworm dege- nerates if not properly attended to. What has been done to raise the indigenous species from the state of their natural inferiority? Very much depends upon the cultivation of the worms in houses; 2, the method of feeding them, selecting that vegetable substance, not which gratifies the best their taste, but which contributes to form a finer cocoon; and 3, from the first chemical operations employed before the working of the rough material. But even if the raw material would not be capable of a higher degree of cultivation, the demand for it would, notwithstanding, never cease in Hurope. All silk pro- duced in Hindustan has hitherto found a ready and profitable market in Calcutta, and the demand is always greater than the supply. And that really the roughest stuff of the Arrindy silkworm is appre- ciated in England, may I be permitted to conclude the present article with the following fact.
1837.] Phenomena on restoring sight to the blind. 47
Mr. Jonn Guass, the Surgeon of Baglipur, sent, in the beginning of this century, some of the Arrindy silk home, and he wrote:
««T understand that some manufacturers to whom it was shown seem- ed to think that we had been deceiving them by our accounts of the shawls being made from the wool of a goat, and that this silk if sent home would be made into shawls equal to any manufactured in India.” ,
This will be sufficient to show the importance of this article, and that it merits highly the attention of the paternal Government of India, and of all patriotic institutions, particularly of the Asiatic Society in Calcutta, which has done hitherto so much for the promo- tion of science and knowledge, and consequently for the welfare of all nations.
V.—Concerning certain interesting Phenomena manifested in individuals born blind, and in those having little or no recollection of that sense, on their being restored to sight at various periods of life. By F. H. Brett, Esq. Med. Serv.
When the profound and discerning Mr. Locks in his Essay on the Human Understanding asserted that ideas were not innate, he meant, no doubt, that so far as the mind’s intercourse, in its present condition, with all objects submitted to it was concerned, its noble faculties were destined to be educated only by its legitimate objects of excitation through the medium of the senses appointed for that purpose. His eccentric comparisons of the mind to a dark room, a blank sheet of paper, &c., meant in reality nothing further.
It occasionally happens that in the course of very extensive prac- tice we have opportunities of illustrating this, in cases of restoration to sight of persons born blind, and also in cases of individuals who have known and distinguished colors; and “ then (as Mr. Locks expresses it) cataracts shut the windows,” andif restored to sight many years afterwards, they are in precisely the same situation as though they had never seen before, having not the slightest recollection or idea of colors any more than the individuals born blind. All is to be acquired ‘‘ de novo.”
I will particularize the following from amongst several which have occurred to me, as they may probably appear interesting to the Society when divested of all purely professional or surgical detail, which have already indeed been communicated to the profession.
No. 1.—The following is illustrative of the fact of all ideas of objects and colors having to be acquired, as well as a verification of the problem
48 On restoration of sight to persons born blind. (Jan.
contained in the 8th Section of the 2nd Book of Mr. Locke in his chapter on Perception. ‘‘ Suppose a man born blind, and now adult, and taught by the touch to distinguish between a cube and a sphere of the same metal, and suppose the cube and the sphere placed on a table, and the blind man be made to see; (quere: whether by his sight before he touched them he could now distinguish and tell which is the globe and which the cube ?) to which the acute and judicious proposer answered—No.”
A pandit, 18 years of age, native of Saugor, was born blind ; his mother states that she had kept him in a dark room until the 10th day of her confinement, when on taking him to the door and expos- ing his eyes to the light, she discovered the pearly appearance of the pupils peculiar to cataract, and that he has always been blind. He is intelligent and cheerful, and has been in the habit of finding his way about Saugor and the adjoining country for many years, fre- quently singing, of which he is very fond. He had little or no incli- nation to undergo the operation,—at least not sufficient to overcome the fear which he entertained. He could perceive the light, and had acquired the habit of rotating the head constantly in progression in a regular and curious manner to the right and left, with a view, I imagine, of admitting the light to the retina obliquely between the circumference of the cataract and the under edge of his iris. It was « long time before his relations could persuade him to submit to an operation. He had requested to be taken to me some months previ- ous ; was gratified at being told that he might be made to see like other people; but the slight inconvenience attending the introduction of a few drops of the solution of belladonna into the lids, and my holding the lids to try how they should be supported, annoyed him—and he said he would much sooner go home and eat his dinner. ‘‘ What do I want with being restored to sight ?”’ His mother likewise expressed her disbelief as to a person born blind being made to see. The prin- cipal pandit of the muhallah at length overruled the objections. The operation was performed on the 28th of August. He complained of but little pain, and indeed there was scarcely any inflammation what- ever produced by the operation. He immediately became conscious of a considerable increase of light.
The eye-balls, as in all cases of congenital cataract, moved about without any control, which, together with a very prominent brow and much spasmodic action of the lids, offered some obstacles. So little irritation had occurred, that I operated on the 30th August on the left eye, which resembled the former operation in every particular. No inflammation followed, but the right eye had become inflamed, in
1837.) On restoration of sight to persons born blind. 49
consequence of which his eyes remained bandaged for several days, and it became necessary to bleed him. He expressed himself as sensible of a remarkable change having taken place: the light was most distressing to him, and continued so for some time. On the eighth day the absorption had proceeded very satisfactorily : several substances of various colors were presented to him. He could not recognize any of them, until he had made himself acquainted with them by the sense of touch. He brought them very close to his eyes, moving his head in his accustomed peculiar manner. What- ever he attempted to reach, he always missed his aim. He ex- pressed himself as highly gratified, and confident that he would see and know every thing, but did not like too much interrogation. On the 12th day he came to me again. The eye-balls were no longer rolled in their former vacant manner. He had acquired the power of directing the left eye, which had been most instructed, on objects ; the right eye, from inflammation, having remained bandaged. A lady shewed him her shawl: he said it was red, which was correct; but did not know what it was, until examined by the hand. The platform in front of the house was recognized as green, and his mother said he had been examining many things at home. The absorption of the cataract has proceeded, leaving two-thirds of the pupil of the left eye quite clear; some inflammation still in the right. He said he was no longer afraid of me, and that he would submit to any thing I recommended. On the 16th of September he walked from the town to see me, accompanied by his mother. He had gained much infor- mation during his absence. The pupil of the left eye had become almost entirely clear. He said he had seen a great number of trees on the road, the lake, and a buggy passing by. He had made himself acquainted with several things. What is this?—A lota. This ?—A pawn leaf. Which answers were correct. A small hooka was shewn him: he touched it, and was told what it was ; several things were then presented to him and the hooka was again brought. He observ- ed, “I cannot tell; you have submitted so many things to me, that I am confused, and forget their names.” He felt it and then exclaim- ed, it is the same hooka. Presently it was shewn him a third time ; he recognized it after having carefully viewed it from top to bottom without touching. He observed a book, remarking that it was red; but he knew not that it was a book until told so. It was presented to him a few minutes afterwards, and he recognized both the color and the book. He said he was extremely happy and gratified with all he saw. He followed me with his eyes as I moved about the room, and pointed out the different positions I took. He H
50 On restoration of sight to persons born blind. (Jan.
recognized distinctly the features of his mother’s face. She hid it under her chadder; he laughed, and observed that she had done so, and turned his face away. He said, ‘‘I can see every thing ; all I want more, is time to learn what they all are; and when I can walk about the town, I shall be quite satisfied.” He could not ascertain whether any thing was round or square, smooth or rough. He distinguished the following : some partridges, the cage and the cup containing the water. The color of their plumage he correctly stated; also the windows, the fields, the sky, a child in arms, &c. On the 7th he again came to see me. He pointed out every feature in his mother’s face, her hair, the color of her dress, the different distances and posi- tions which she purposely took, and when changing places with another woman, selected her out. He stated that if I would bring the red book I shewed him yesterday, he would recognize it. I accordingly brought him a red morocco box much resembling the book, but smaller; he said it was the book! At this period his knowledge of the shapes of bodies and their sizes was very imperfect, especially the latter. He directed his hand straight to whatever things were now presented before him. The last time | saw him, a small ivory looking-glass, a paper-cutter, and a cut jelly-glass, were placed on the ground; they were shifted and changed, and he distinguished each respectively. He was much amused and laughed heartily. I gave him the looking-glass, in which he noticed his face, and said it was like other people’s, achchha.
It will appear, therefore, that his judgment of distances, colors, notions, and positions, was very considerable. That of size and form was to be acquired more tardily.
From this period I quitted Saugor, and have heard nothing further of him. ,
No. 2.—The next is a similar instance of an individual who had never seen before,—a Brahman boy of 10 years of age, residing at the Kherie Pass, near the Dehra valley.
A few days after the first operation when the bandages were re- moved, the principal circumstance worthy of note was the confusion and embarrassment of the mind, arising from new and unaccustomed impressions and the dazzling influence of light.
On the seventh day he had acquired some voluntary power over the ball of the eye, being able to steady it somewhat, and fix it on any object he wished to discern, but only for a few moments. He had after repeated practice acquired a knowledge of most colors, but it was not until the twenty-sixth day from the first operation that he could be said to have a tolerable acquaintance with the visible world. Dur-
1837.] On restoration of sight to persons born blind. 51
ing this period, when the absence of pain and inflammation permitted, (for it was necessary for him to undergo several operations,) the ban- dages were removed before and after sunset, and his attention was directed to men sometimes standing, sometimes moving’; also to the tent, sky, trees and their foliage, animals of different kinds, the colors and figures and motions of which he was able in time to dis- cern.
There was no correspondence, however, for a long while between the sight and touch, neither did he for several days direct his eyes straight to objects so as to examine them minutely. At night he would contemplate the stars, and the flame of a candle, and the fea- tures of my face, &c. Debility, the necessary result of the treatment, &c. in a delicate frame, was one cause of the slowness of progress. As he gained strength by an improved diet, his vision greatly improved.
He was observed to take up various objects and notice them ; latterly I was in the habit of calling him into my tent when at breakfast. He noticed the cups and saucers and their patterns ; chintz on the canvas; and he observed attentively a hooka, describing the bell (cut glass) as bright; noticed the snake, and mouth-piece (silver), and saw dis- tinctly the smoke ascending.
On the 20th of December he walked several yards without assist- ance. A lady gave him a colored chintz cap, with which he was much pleased, and he distinguished on it the colors of green and red, and the white ground. As his new sense could scarcely be said to have been exercised more than fourteen days, further observations could not be made as to his judgment of distances, positions, forms, and motions.
No. 3.—A similar result, as far as phenomena, occurred in a boy of 12 years of age, though his acquirements were more rapid, from his natural mental intelligence being superior to the former cases: the cause of his blindness was disease after birth from the small-pox. The nature of the operation being the formation of an artificial pupil at the outer corner of the eye, it is unnecessary to repeat the details which are so similar to the preceding, and though he had seen for some weeks of his early existence, of course he had to acquire all ‘ de novo.”
No. 4.—There are others who have been restored to sight who had lost it at a more advanced period of life—say five or six years of age and upwards, and when restored exhibit peculiar phenomena more or less interesting in proportion to the degree of remembrance they may possess of their former vision, And this was particularly remarkable in a young man of 25 years of age, the brother of the boy mentioned in case No. 2, who had become blind when only 5 years
H 2
52 Section of the Strata (Jan.
old; and which is remarkably interesting in a physiological point of view, as shewing the power of the retina to preserve its susceptibility to light for twenty years, though not the only case recorded. There was certainly in this case a great approximation to the phenomena manifested in congenital blindness, but there was not that marked ignorance in recognising objects at first sight, nor that palpable want of correspondence between the touch and sight, but both existed to some extent. It was also curious that he should become blind after five years of the same disease with which his brother was born blind.
I recollect restoring a man, aged 35 years, who had been blind for a period of twelve years from the venereal disease, causing closure of the pupils. This man, after an operation for artificial pupil, recognis- ed, of course, every thing perfectly the moment he was permitted to look about him, and still enjoys a very tolerable share of vision at Cawnpore.
ViI.—Memorandum of the progress of sinking a Well in the bunds of Chandpur, near the foot of the Hills. By Mr. Witu1am Dawe, Con- ductor, Delhi Canal Department.
In sinking wells through the soils, without and within the lower range of hills, I have seen repeated failures owing to the usual mode adopted in digging for the water, (i. e. with perpendicular sides ;) and as I was only about 400 yards from a branch of the Jumna, the level of its water about 14 feet below the surface of the top of the pro- posed well, I calculated upon finding water at 20 feet deep at the utmost. I therefore commenced digging 42 feet diameter, contracting as I sunk, and this admitted of leaving a couple of winding steps to bring up the contents by basket loads, in preference to being drawn up with a drag-rope, (which method could not well be adopted, the top excavation being so wide.) At the depth of 24 feet I was appre- hensive that the work would have been a failure, owing to the vast accumulation of heavy boulders, from 4 to 10 maunds weight, which I had no purchase to get up. This obstacle was got over by the simple method of expending one for every step of the winding road- way, always taking the precaution of letting the boulders sufficiently into the bank to prevent the possibility of their falling down on the work-people below. By this method down as deep as 37 feet the boulders were expended as we came on them, and as the soil there had a more favorable appearance for working, and there was a proba- bility of soon getting water, and the space had become so contracted,
1837.) at Chandpur, on the Delhi Canal. 53
I was obliged to commence sinking perpendicular, which was carried on till we at length found water at 72 feet deep. The boulders found in the latter part of the work were only few, but they were of the largest size, and those were got rid off by excavating recesses in the sides and depositing them therein. The above excavation down to 72 feet was completed for 120 sicca rupees.
Part of the cylinder having been built, it was sunk in June, where I found the water had sunk 7 feet 6 inches lower. We sunk further 14 feet, when we got toa bed of clear pebbles, and bedded the well ring on small boulders, with 6 feet 6 inches water ; and as the driest season has arrived, we may expect always to have a plentiful supply of good water from a total depth of 86 feet below the surface.
MeEMorRANDUM OF THE SOIL IN THE CHANDPUR WELL. Feet 1. Clayey soil. 2to 7. Light soil, consisting of clay and sand, the proportion of sand increasing with the depth. 8. A vein of sand. 9to 11. Sand with slight mixture of clay. 12 to 14. Fine sand.
15, River sand.
16. Coarse river sand.
if. Ditto ditto, with gravel and small boulders. 18. Large gravel and boulders.
19 to 25. Ditto ditto, some of the boulders very large.
26 to 27, Ditto ditto, large boulders, with a mixture of clay.
28 to 30. Ditto ditto, with a layer of immense boulders.
31 to 32. Ditto ditto, and small boulders through which a spring of water has passed, shewn by the stones being without a particle of sand mixed with them.
33 to 36. Large gravel with large boulders.
37. A vein of old spring, as above. 38. Gravel with small boulders. 39. A vein of river sand with a mixture of small stones.
40 to 41. Gravel with large boulders.
42 to 46. Large gravel with small boulders.
47 to 48. A vein of old spring—small boulders.
49 to 54. Gravel with large boulders.
55 to 56. Vein of river sand, slightly mixed with gravel. 57 to 64. Gravel with small boulders.
65 to 66. A vein of fine river sand.
67 to 6¥. Gravel with no boulders.
54 Section of a Well at Chandpur. (Jan.
70 to 72. Vein of fine river sand—(water found here). 73 to 76. Fine sand, with a mixture of clean gravel. 77 to 79. Gravel with a mixture of yellow sand. 80 to 83. Clear fine river sand. 84 to 86. A bed of clean pebbles, and the well ring bedded on small boulders. : N.B. The water sunk while the cylinder was being built to 79-6.
Note by Lieutenant W. E. Baxer, Engineers, Assistant Superintendant of Canals.
The situation of this well is close to the southern base of the outer range of hills, where they fall away into the valley of the Jumna, a branch of which now occupied as the bed of the Delhi canal, passes within a short distance of it. The strata, of which the section is thus exhibited, are evidently the deposits of a stream, having, for the greater part of the time, at least as strong a fall and as rapid a cur- rent as the Jumna at the same spot now has—and they are precisely what might now be forming in the Jumna, were that river raising its bed—even the strata of small rounded stones, in which Mr. Dawe has attributed the removal of sand and smaller gravel to the action of formerly existing springs, have their representatives in the numer- ous shingle banks of the Jumna.
The most striking circumstance, however, illustrated by Mr. Dawz’s observations, is the impermeability of these river deposits to the water of the neighboring channel, the stream of which is never dry. This circumstance was even more strongly exemplified in the same vicinity—at the village of Rayanwalla—where, within the inclosure of the canal chowkey, and not 60 yards distant from the water’s edge, it was desired to sink a well to supply clear water to such of the esta- blishment as remained there during the rainy season, when the river water is turbid and unwholesome. The shaft was of small dia- meter, as water was confidently expected at but little below the level of that in the canal: no trace of it, however, was met with to the depth of 60 feet—when, from the smallness of the shaft, it became dangerous to proceed further; the attempt was therefore abandoned and the shaft filled up again. The strata pierced through on this occa- sion consisted of large and small boulders, gravel and sand materials, of which we find it impossible to form a dry bund, even where the difference of level is only 2 or 3 feet—while here, the excavation must have gone at least 50 feet below the canal level. ;
In apparent contradiction to this, is a well known fact, connected with the rivers flowing through the northern parts of Rohilkhand into
1837.] The History of Labong. 58
the Ganges. I mean the disappearance from the surface, near where they leave the outer range of hills, and then again emerging at the distance of 10 or 12 miles lower down; thus shewing the complete permeability of the gravel beds through which they must be supposed to trickle—and that this is in some measure the case in the Jumna also, is rendered probable by a circumstance which came under our observation in the great drought of 1833-34.
In order to supply the excessive demand for water for irrigation, it became necessary to throw a gravel bund right across the Jumna— just below the head of the canal; and at this very period, as appears from a record kept in the Executive Engineer’s Office at Agra, a slight diminution only of the waters of the Jumna at that place was - observable.
VIl.—The History of Labong from the Native Records consulted by Dr. D. Ricuarpson, forming an Appendix to his journals published in the preceding volume*.
The annals of Labong reach backvto the same remote and fabulous period as those of the neighboring nations. In the year 1118, (A. D. 574,) after GaupamaAw had obtained nib-ban, or eternal rest, two holy men, Waruoo-pay-waf and Tuxa-panpa, (having first buried a shell with the spiral turned the reverse way,) by prayers and holiness raised from out the earth the walls, gates, and ramparts, and sunk the fosse of Labong. They marked the site of the pagoda, and during two years employed themselves in calling together the people from the surrounding forests and small villages. In 1120 they raised to the throne Rama or ZamMA-Day-wWE, daughter of the king of Chanda- pur (or, Wintian, the capital of Saroarata-ty-ne), and widow of a prince of Cambodia. She had twin sons, Mananta-yaTtua. The elder succeeded her in Labong, received the common title of ‘‘ Sen-Bur Sueen,” or Lord of the White Elephant, for having caught one of that color. AINDAWARAJA, the younger, built and reigned in Lagon. In Labong (the Magadharrame of which is Hart-zoune ZayatyNe) from Rama-Day-we to ApUTzA-woon-THA, who built the pagoda (assein dayd) there reigned 35 kings, and from AputzA-woon-THA to Benya- THEOHA 19; in all 54 kings reigned in Labong. Bunya-MEN-YzEA, called in Ava History Dotana Burnya-Tso-MEN-yEA, the son of Bunya-THoona, succeeded him, and reigned ten years in Labong,
* We have already quoted from this document in manuscript; see Appendix
General Tables, page 135,—Ep. + Vasu-deva?—Eb.
56 The History of Labong. (Jan.
three in Kim-yea, five in Wen-congkan. In 651* he crossed the Thaluen river, and married a daughter of Tooorna Tuoma, king of Pegu, with whom he received in dower four hundred Taliens or Peguers and their wives, the town Yain Salen and its dependencies, and returned to his country; and on Thursday the full moon of Kasong, (May,) 656, at midnight, founded Zama-pada-pur-there-nagara-nawara-raza- tani, or Zimmay, measuring from east to west five hundred talsf, from north to south four hundred and fifty tals; built his palace of Zayaboungme ; reigned thirty-seven years; in 623 died, aged eighty, and was succeeded by his son Nearuren-Pootcnoo, who in 695 was succeeded by his son Tso-TcHomTA-yuNG ; and he in the same year by his son Na-tcHoon-Tarcune ; and hein
698 by his son Nca-THENPOO; and he was succeeded in
707 by his son Tso-KANPEW; he in
709 by his son Tso-Boa-you ; and he in
731 by his son Goona ; and he in
739 by his son-in-law GnatHenmia ; and he in
742 by his son Taamsi; and in
782 his son Tso-Brenya succeeded; and in
817 his son Tso-nEaT succeeded ; and in
825 his son Benya TsorueEz, called also There-tha-da-matilanka-seek-
ka-wa-te-ya-za ; in
865 his son Tso-mMyNEAE succeeded ; and in
899 his son Benya Tsay ; in
904 his son Tso-myYNE; in :
906 his daughter Zaua-paBa, called also There-thadama-maha-day-we.
920 Sen-BuE-MYA-SHEEN, king of Pegue, took the town, but allowed the queen to enjoy the revenues with the royal title till her death, when he gave the town and revenue to his son Narata-tso, the myo-tsa, (literally, town-eater: the person who enjoys the revenue of a town amongst the Burmese is so called). Sarawapt, in the
* To account for the discrepance in the dates of Labong and Zimmay, it is to be stated that the common era has been twice altered ; once 624 years after the death of Gaupamau, by THERE Mouneparti, king of There; Kit-TaRA, who dropped 622 years, and commenced from 2. The second alteration was made by THENGARET, king of Pagan, in the seventeenth year of his reign, 562 years from the reign of Taterg MouneDARI, who dropped 550 years, and again commenced with 2. Labong was founded 1118 years after the death of GAUDAMAH ; and Zimmay 656 years after the alteration of TarnGaReEtT, or 1838 years of the death of GauDAMAH ; giving a period of 720 years to 54 kings, and average of thirteen years and some odd months and days to each reign. (See Chron. Appendix, page 84.— Eb.)
+ The tals, is seven cubits.
1837.) On the site of the Altars of Alexander. 57
year 990, after the death of Sen-sus-mya Sueren, the chief of Moung-nam, rebelled in Zimmay and shook off the Peguan authority ; and in 992, THa-pan-pama-yaza, the grandson of Sen-BUE-MyYA- SHEEN retook it. 1125, Tso-oung recovered its independence, which it enjoyed only a short time, when it was taken by Sun-pun-sHEEN, king of Ava, son of the great Atompra. 1136, Brenya-sa-Ban, and Kaweena, the eldest brother of the present Chow-tchee-weet of Labong, who was Myo-tsa of Lagon, rose against Tua-pan-Menpev, called by the Shans Bogoung-bue, (a white-headed chief.) The Go- vernor of Zimmay under SEN-BUE-sHEEN again prevailed and trans- ferred their allegiance to Bankok, to which they have continued sub- ject ever since. Kaweseta had six brothers, three others of whom have received from the king of Bankok the title of ‘“ Chow-tcha- Weet,” or ‘‘ Lord of Life,’’ one of the many titles he himself enjoys, and the other three have been Chows Moungs of the other towns. The present Chow-tcha-Weet, who is now seventy-two years of age, is the youngest and last of the seven brothers. He has five children by his first chief wife, viz. the wife of Cuow Hova of La- bong ; the wife of a chief who is at Bankok ; Cxow Rasa Boot, the eldest son; another daughter who is deranged, but quiet and inoffen- sive. Cuow Hova of Labong will probably succeed to the zazabo- lenoe. He is certainly, from his intelligence and habits of application to business, incomparably best fitted to do so. But it is the opinion of the northern Tsoboas that the Coow Houa of Zimmay, who is even now little inclined to submit to the old Tsoboa’s authority, will not quietly acquiesce, and that at the death of the present Tsoboa there will be some bloodshed in the country.
SS a a
VIII.—Suggestions on the Sites of Sangala and the Altars of Alexander; being an extract from Notes of a Journey from Lahore to Karichee, made in 1830. By C. Masson.
«At length after a long march we arrived at Hurreepah, having passed the whole road through close jungle. East of it was an abundance of luxuriant grass, where, with many others, I went to allow-my nag to graze. On rejoining the party, I found it encamped in front of the village and an old ruinous castle attached to it. Behind us was a large circular mound or eminence, and to the west was an irregular rocky height crowned with remains of buildings, shewing fragments of walls, with niches inthem. This elevation was undoubt- edly a natural object ; the former, being of simple earth, was probably artificial. On going to examine the remains we found two immense
1
58 On the site of Sangala (Jan.
circular stones with large perforations, which we were told were once worn round the ancles by a celebrated fakeer, who resided here, and who among other proofs of mortification and sanctity, accustom- ed himself to eat earth and other strange substances. Between our en- campment and this natural height was a small space of jungle, in which are a few pipal trees in the last stage of existence. The old fort, an erection of other days, is built with burnt bricks ; its walls and towers are very high, and its extent considerable, but time has made evident ravages in its defences: its bulwarks have in many places tumbled down, and it is nolonger occupied. Surrounding the north-east angle of the fort, isa smallswamp. We were cautioned by the inhabitants, that we should be much annoyed by aspecies of gnat, called muckah, which swarm by night in these jungles during the rainy months, but which we had not hitherto seen. To avoid these, we decamped towards evening, and fixed ourselves on the summit of the. circular artificial mound before mentioned.
It was impossible to look upon the prospect of the fort and swamp before us, and beneath our feet, upon the ground on which we stood, without feeling the “conviction that we were beholding the fort and lake of Sangala, and that we stood on the eminence protected by the triple lines of chariots, and defended by the Kathi, before they al- lowed themselves to be shut up in their fortress.