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98
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[APRIL, 1907.
from the orthography omployed; the Dras figures, with inscriptions in Kashmir härada characters, moet probably of the Kashmir Buddhist emigration to Ladakh, which was at its height 900-1100 A. D.; the Vajrapäņi at Dara, c. 1250 A. D. (or 20-30 years earlier according to Sarat Ch. Das' Chronology); the figures at Spadum in Zangskar of the time of the Mons, before the Tibetan conquest, which took place o. 950 - 1000 A.D.; the figure in the garden of the Mission Knitting School at Leh, o. 1000 A. D., from the accompanying inscription. On the whole, although one of the dates is as far forward as far as the thirteenth century, I feel much inclined to believe that the year 1000 A. D. should be taken as roughly the date of these images.
I would draw attention to the striking similarity which many of these sculptures have to the ancient Budhhist images at Gilgit, one of which is reproduced in Biddulph's The Tribes af the Hindoo Kwah. And although the art was continued for some time under the rule of the Tibetan kings of Leh, I feel much inclined to believe that it is Pre-Tibetan, and probably Dard in origin. At any rate it is Indian. The inscription on the Maitreya at the Knitting School, Leh, runs thus: - Text.
Translation. nga zbarba
I, a blind one, ma shii bardu rje
Until death sam chodcbing rkyan
May offer high thoughts and bai bsodnamskyis
Through the adorning (religious) merit grol bya sem.....
May (or will be delivered, the soul ....
Notes. rkyan is probably for rgyan.
Signs of age in the Inscription are: three inverted í signs; ching instead of cing; and the form of the sh, which reminds us of sh.
THE TRAVELS OF RICHARD BELL (AND JOHN CAMPBELL) IN THE EAST INDIES, PERSIA, AND PALESTINE.
1654–1670.
BY SIB R. O. TEMPLE.
(Continued from Vol. XXXV. p. 210.) PARTING from them, my boy & I tooke Connoell woh way to steere, My boy advised back way, for that yo people of that Contrey weere verry bad, and theires a Towne 12 Corse [kös], wob is 6 English mile of; Theire we will goe & buy přitions, weh we did, And after Travelled 17 days wthout touchinge at either towne or howse till we caime to yo great Citty Guzzurratt. These Contreys [Rajputana) are not as others, bat bane mapy Kings. Some haue not abouo 600 people foighting men vnder them, some 5000. I got safe to Guzzeratt, tho very weary of all my Travells. This was yo first iunct money [chungam, custom, poll-tax] I paid, otherwise cald bead money, so much for a Man & doble as much for a horsse.
I lived in that Citty 17 days privatt in a brammonists [brahman's) howse, by reason my sary! told me I must live as his sarv! if I intended to travell safe in that contrey, woh I did, for in those parts they are great Enemies to a Xpian.
They Mervelled to see a whiteman, never being one before in that Controy, Caused my Man, then My Maister, to say he bought me in the Bloches Contrey, & I was his slane. Next morning, I ridoing out to water with my horsse, y people stareing on me, A Naagg (näid}, ye.
