Book Title: Operation In Search of Sanskrit Manuscripts in Mumbai Circle 1
Author(s): P Piterson
Publisher: Royal Asiatic Society

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Page 69
________________ 56 OPERATIONS IN SEARCH OF SANSKRIT MSS. the look out for ever since I heard from some Digambara friends in Jeypore that I would find that, unlike the Svetâmbara book of the same name, it was an historical work. Kanakakîrtti was embarassed by the crowd of adherents who, unable to follow our conversation, made up for that by the zeal with which they watched our movemeuts: and I was able only to carry away with me a memorandum to the effect that the work, which was written in Samvat 881=A.D. 825, is an account of the deels of Yasodhara, the eldest son of Arikesari in the Chalukya dynasty. Through the efforts of Col. Euan Smith and by the kind interposition of the Oodeypore Durbar, the book has since been copied for me. I hope to have it soon in my hands. It was very difficult to leave Oodeypore, but my short vacation was rapidly drawing to a close, and I was anxious, before returning to Bombay, to make a personal effort in the way of securing the catalogue of the Bhandar attached to the temple of Santinâth, at Cambay, which the officers of the search have been endeavouring to obtain ever since Dr. Bühler's visit in 1879. On the 27th of October, accordingly, we tore ourselves away from the magic of the place, and the kindness of friends, and after a journey by Nimbahera and Ajmir, lasting over three days and two nights, we left the Bom. bay and Baroda line at the village of Anand, where we found that the Collector, Mr. Grant, had most considerately left his camp for us, and had arranged with the Cambay Durbar for our transport to Cambay. We broke the journey, as I should recommend every one to do, at Borsad, and were much interested in what we saw, under Mr. Gillespie's guidance, of the small Christian settlement there. Cambay, once in the direct highway of commerce between Eastern Asia and Europe, now a forlorn town which the very sea seems eager to desert, was reached early on the morning of the 1st November; and I was gratified to learn from the Dewan, Mr. Shamrao N. Laud, who had been already busying himself on behalf of the search, that he had every reason to believe that in the course of a day or two I should be allowed to visit the library; and that permission would be given to draw up the long-desired catalogue. At his suggestion, and with much assistance from him, for which, as for his benevolent exertions on behalf of the search, I desire cordially to thank him, we spent the interval in visiting the sights of Cambay. A detailed description would be out of place here ; but the attention of hunters after archæological treasures may perhaps

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