the co-operation of fellow-labourers in the field of Central Asian research, and such assistance as the British Government has always been prepared to extend to endeavours for the advancement of knowledge. Among the places above mentioned Kashghar and Leb, especially

the former, are those which are most favourContributors to the ably situated for the object in view, the collec

tion of antiquities from Eastern Turkestan. It

is from the Officers stationed at these two places that nearly all the objects which at present form the collection have been obtained. Captain Stuart H. Godfrey, who was the British Joint-Commissioner in Leh, in 1893, when the instructions of the Foreign Department were issued, informs me (in a letter, dated the 26th September, 1897), that he already before that date, on his own initiative, commenced endeavouring to obtain Central Asian manuscripts. His endeavours, though then unsuccessful, bore much fruit later on, after he had left Leh, as may be seen from the following list of consignments. Mr. George Macartney, who is stationed in Kashghar, as Special Assistant for Chinese Affairs to the Resident in Kashmir, being in the most favourable position, has also been the most successful in his contributions to the collection. To both these officers great credit is due for the successful part they have taken in the formation of the collection. To Sir Adelbert C. Talbot, K.C.I.E., the British Resident in Kashmir, the collection is under special obligation for the hearty support given to it throughout, without which it would probably never have reached its present dimensions.

The following is a list, in chronological List of

order, of the contributions to the collection, contributions.

received by me from time to time :(1) From Mr. G. Macartney, a collection of small fragments of

manuscripts, found near Kuchar. It was received by me early in April 1895 from the Foreign Office, with their D. 0. letter, dated the 28th March, 1895, and reported on in the Proceedings, As. Soc. Beng., for May 1895, and in the Journal, As. Soc. Beng., Vol. LXVI, for 1897,

pp. 213-224. (2) From Captain S. H. Godfrey (G. 1), a collection of frag

ments of manuscripts, received by me towards the end of November 1895, and called the “Godfrey Manuscripts." They are said to have been found near Kuchar. A preliminary report on them was submitted by me to the Government of India on the 18th March, 1897, and a fuller report (with facsimiles) was published by me in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. LXVI, Part I, No. 4, for 1897 (pp. 225 ff.), advance-copies of which were transmitted to the Government of India on the 23rd August, 1897, and to the 11th International Congress of

Orientalists in Paris in October 1897. (3) From Mr. G. Macartney (M. 1), a collection of six sets of

manuscripts, received by me in December, 1896, from the Foreign Office with their D. O. letter, dated the 14th December, 1896, and called by me the "Macartney Manuscripts." This collection was also dealt with by me, together with the Godfrey collection (No. 2), in the two

Reports above referred to. (4) From Mr. G. Macartney (M. 2), a collection of miscellaneous

antiquities, found in the Takla Makan desert. This
collection, distributed in four sets, consisting of a skull,
a manuscript, pottery, bronze figures, coins, and sundry
other objects, was received by me in August 1897, with
a letter of the Revenue and Agricultural Department of
the Government of India, No. 2283-27-1, dated the 16th
August, 1897. A preliminary report on it was submitted
by me to the Government of India on the 15th September,

1897. (5) From Captain S. H. Godfrey (G. 2) a manuscript book,

said to have been found in the Takla Makan, and received

by me early in October, 1897. (6) From Captain S. H. Godfrey (G. 3), a collection of manu

script leaves, in three sets, found in the Takla Makan, and received by me towards the end of October, 1897, with a letter of the Revenue and Agricultural Department of the Government of India, No. 3043-27-3, dated the 14th

October, 1897. (7) From Mr. G. Macartney (M. 3), a collection of miscellaneous

antiquities, procured from Khotan and the Takla Makan, consisting of (a) thirteen books, (b) pottery, (c) coins, (d) sundry objects. Seven books and the antiques were purchased by Mr. Macartney in Khotan for Rs. 95; the remaining six books were purchased by him from Badrud. din. The total cost was Rs. 150. The collection was received by me early in November, 1897, with a letter No. 3169-27-7, from the Revenue and Agricultural Department of the Government of India, dated the 26th October, 1897.

(8) From Captain S. H. Godfrey (G. 4), a collection of miscella

neous antiquities, consisting of coins, seals and one lead figure, obtained from a merchant Miyan Ghulām Rasūl at a cost of about Rs. 30. It was received by me about the 12th November, 1897, and reported on to the Government

of India on the 20th of the same month. (9) From Mr. G. Macartney (M. 4), a collection of miscella

neous antiquities, obtained from Khotan for Rs. 11-3, and consisting of (a) books and detached inscribed leaves, and (b) sundry other objects. This collection was received by me towards the end of November 1897, and is referred to in the letter, No. 3265-27-8, of the Revenue and Agricultural Department of the Government of India,

dated the 3rd November 1897. (10) From Sir Adelbert Talbot, K.C.I.E. (T. 1), a small collec

tion of twenty-four coins and twelve detached manuscript leaves, and sundry other objects, obtained from Muḥammad Ghauz of Khotan, through the Wazir Wazarat of Leh, and received by me on the 3rd December, 1897, and referred to in the letter, No. 3480-11-8, of the Revenue and Agricultural Department of the Government of India,

dated the 3rd December, 1897. (11) From Mr. G. Macartney (M. 5), two books, from Khotan,

purchased for Rs. 40, and received by me.on the 27th December, 1897, with a letter, No. 3734-11-23, from the Revenue and Agricultural Department of the Government

of India, dated the 27th December, 1897. (12) From Captain S. H. Godfrey (G. 5), a miscellaneous collec

tion found in the Takla Makan, consisting of (a) two books and four detached leaves of manuscript, (6) three mud figures, and (c) eleven coins. It was received by me on the 9th January, 1898, and reported on to the Govern

ment of India on the 11th of the same month. (13) From Captain S. H. Godfrey (G. 6), a collection of pottery

and three copper figures, found in the Takla Makan, and

received by me on the 27th January, 1898. (14) From Captain S. H. Godfrey (G. 7), a miscellaneous collec

tion of antiquities, found in the Takla Makan, and consist. ing of (a) three books and six detached inscribed leaves, (6) coins, (c) seals, (d) pottery, (e) metal figures, and (f) sundry other objects. This collection was received by me on the 25th of February, 1897, with a letter, No.

621-1-7, from the Revenue and Agricultural Department

of the Government of India, dated on the same day. (15) From Mr. G. Macartney (M. 6), a collection of miscellan

eous antiquities, consisting of (a) six books, (6) coins, (c) seals, (d) pottery, (e) metal figures, (f) two stone heads of Buddha, and (g) sundry other objects. Three of the books were purchased from Badruddin for Rs. 40, the other four books and all antiques from the Rev. Högberg for Rs. 200: total cost Rs. 240. This collection was received by me in Simla, on the 16th June, 1898, with a letter, No. 1297-1-14, from the Revenue and Agricultural Department of the Government of India

dated 19th May, 1898. (16) From Mr. G. Macartney (M. 7), a collection of nine books,

found at Aq Talā Tūz, and purchased for Rs. 40. It was received by me on the 19th June, 1898, with a letter, No. 1645-1-21, from the Revenue and Agricultural Department of the Government of India, dated the 17th June,

1898. (17) From Mr. G. Macartney (M. 8), a collection of eight books,

found at Kiang Tûz and purchased for Rs. 40. It was received by me on the same day as the preceding con

signment. (18) From Captain S. H. Godfrey (G. 8), one book, purchased

for Rs. 45. It was received by me on the 16th July, 1898, with a letter, No. 1884-1-29, of the Revenue and Agricultural Department of the Government of India, of the

same date. (19) From Captain S. H. Godfrey (G. 9), one book, purchased

for Rs. 40. It was received by me on the 8th August, 1898, with a letter, No. 2097-1, of the Revenue and Agricultural Department of the Government of India,

of the same date. (20) From Mr. G. Macartney (M. 9), a collection of miscellan

eous antiquities, from Khotan, purchased for Rs. 20, and consisting of (a) two books, (6) eight sheets of manuscripts in Brābmi characters, (c) three sheets of Chinese manuscripts (two dated), (d) two painted figures in stucco (one Buddha), (e) a painted wooden board (Buddha), (f) two terracotta figures; (g) one metal figure, (h) a few coins, seals, and (i) other miscellaneous objects. This collection was received by me on the 11th October, 1898,

with a letter, No. 2776-1-41, of the Revenue and Agricultural Department of the Government of India, of the

same date. (21) From Captain S. H. Godfrey (G. 10), a collection of miscel

laneous antiquities, from the Takla Makan, sent, from Leh, and consisting of (a) three blockprints, (b) a carved wooden box, (c) seven seals, (d) 54 coins, (e) 56 terracottas. This collection was received by me on the 29th November, 1898, with his D. 0. letter, dated the 19th

November, 1898. In the subsequent part of this report the contributions above enumerated will be referred to by the bracketed indications "M. 1., G. 1,” etc.

With regard to the contribution No. 12 (or G. 5), I should explain that of the objects constituting the collection the two books, also two leaves, one mud figure and three coins have been retained for the British collection. These were replaced by objects of a similar character taken from other portions of the British collection; and the whole, thus reconstituted, Captain Godfrey was permitted by the Government of India (see No. 159-1-4 of the Revenue and Agricultural Department, dated the 19th January, 1898), to give to Mr. Dauvergne for presentation to the “French Archæological Society." They are now, as I learn from a letter received by me from M. A. Barth, in the hands of M. E. Senart in Paris. In addition to the antiquities, above enumerated, I may here mention

one which I have also seen and examined, but Gold coin from which does not belong to the British collection, Khotan. but is the private property of Captain Godfrey.

It is a gold coin regarding the acquisition of which Captain Godfrey, in private letters, dated the 30th October and 25th November, 1897, informs me as follows: “I had heard that gold coins were occasionally found by native treasure-seekers in the Takla Makan. As such coins are not liable to oxidisation, it was fairly certain that any obtainable might be of considerable numismatic, if not historical, interest. I accordingly requested Munshi Aḥmad Din and other native gentlemen to make enquiries as to whether a specimen could be procured. Dr. Chiraghu-d-din, formerly Hospital Assistant at Kasbghar, very kindly obtained one for me from a Muhammadan priest in Khotan who had himself purchased it, together with certain seals, from a treasure-seeker there. The coin was, it is stated, exhumed from the soil in the desert together with those seals. For the latter a very high price was asked, for which reason the doctor did not buy