These papers consist of two items of correspondence and two articles.
Rowlatt Mary b 1908There is a single item in these Papers. This is the "Abstracts of Meteorological Diary for the Years 1816, 1817, 1818, 1819. Taken Eight Miles North-East of Fort William Calcutta". This a handwritten journal of daily weather conditions divided into monthly pages giving a general monthly summary, variations of the winds, thermometer, barometer and hygrometer readings, prevailing wind directions and remarks concerning the days' weather patterns. The manuscript is on foolscap sheets bound into a hardcover journal. The book is in fragile conditions, its boards have become separated and some of the pages are only loosely attached into the whole. Within the book is a loose sheet of paper on which wind calculations have been written.
Thomas HardwickeA set of handwritten notes concerning inscriptions. They are titled:
- The Naqbu-i-Hajar Inscription with commentary
- The Hisn Ghurāb Inscription
- Nouvelles Études sur L'Epigraphie du Yemen par MM Joseph et Hartwig Derenbourg
- Minoean B.M. 92 Glaser 284
- Comparative Alphabet
This material contains a letter from major Cunningham describing the "Haram of Ali Raza" at Mashhad and a copy of the "Ziarat Nameh" said at the shrine. There is also further Royal Asiatic Society correspondence concerning what to do with this donated material.
J. R. CunninghamPersonal Papers of Major General Sir Frederic John Goldsmid
Goldsmid Sir Frederic John 1818-1908 Major GeneralThe Papers of Lucian Scherman consist of a printed copy of an original birthday message that was sent as a bound copy, with 213 signatures, to Munich, for presentation to Professor Scherman on the occasion of his 70th birthday. It is entitled "Lucian Scherman zum 70th Geburtstage". This version is unbound and unsigned.
Lucian SchermanThe Papers consist of copies of letter sent by Stoddart, a newspaper cutting about his death, and the original containing envelope. These are:
- Copy of a letter from Stoddart to Crawford to inform that he had been appointed Commander of the Escort, a position gained for him by Mr Ellis, which is not onerous and has increased his yearly salary. He also writes that he will stay in Persia unless a more attractive opportunity opens for him. He asks for news from England. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 17 April 1837.
- Copy of a letter from Stoddart to Crauford (different spelling to letter above) from 'Bokhauran' (Bukhara) in which he writes that his appointment to Bokhauran should have made him his own master and therefore at liberty to write more freely. However four days after his arrival he was imprisoned and from 21 December 1838 until February 1841 was unable to write at all. Now however, he is at liberty. He gives news of Heraut (Herat) and Kabool (Kabul) and the military manoeuvres of the Persian and English armies. He writes that he is now well-treated and bears no ill-will. He asks for news to be sent via the Foreign Office. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 1 May 1841.
- 'The Murder of Lieut. Col. Stoddart and Capt. Conolly, in Bokhara' - a newspaper cutting from an unknown newspaper giving the details of the execution of Stoddart and Conolly on 17 June 1842.
- The original containing envelope with the title, 'Murder of Lt. Col. Stoddart by the Amir of Bokhara on 17.6.1842 - & of Captain Conolly'.
"On the Discovery of the Buddha's Birthplace by L.A. Waddell". A notebook with black cover into which Waddell has pasted several articles concerning his attempts to find the birthplace of Buddha. These are entitled and annotated by him by hand. The articles included are:
- "The Discovery of the Birthplace of the Buddha" from the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1897, pp.644-651
- "Where is the Birthplace of Buddha?" from the Englishman, 1 June 1896
- "A Tibetan Guide-book to the lost Sites of the Buddha's Birth and Death" from the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1896, pp. 275-279
- Editorial Note from the Englishman, 1 June 1896
- "Who found Buddha's Birthplace?" from The Pioneer Mail, 29 October 1897
- "Who Found Buddha's Birthplace?" - a reply to Dr Führer's letter, from the Englishman, 30 November 1897
- "Christian Tombs in the North-Western Provinces and Oudh" from The Pioneer, 22 September 1897
- "The Birthplace of the Buddha" by Sir George Birdwood, from The Times, 9 September 1897
It appears from the title page of the book that Waddell prepared this volume especially for the Royal Asiatic Society in February 1898.
The papers consist of a single letter from Joseph Edkins to Thomas William Rhys Davids concerning the philosophy behind Primitive Buddhism including Nirvana and karma.
Joseph EdkinsThe papers of John Romer consist of:
- An untitled translation beginning: "Translation of the first fifteen verses of Col. 1 of the Behistun inscription, being done into the literal and schismatic Persian rejecting Arabic works". Romer provides a description of his translation in English and a copy of the fifteen verses in Persian. He acknowledges the work that Sir Henry Rawlinson undertook on the inscriptions. Six sheets of paper, 20 sides. The final page bears the label in a different hand, "Persian Language, J. Romer Esq."
- A letter to the Bombay Gazette found within the 1687 Complementum thesauri linguarum Orientalum by Franciszek Meninski, (1623-1698). This Thesaurus was donated to the the Royal Asiatic Society by John Romer. The letter to the Gazette takes issue with a contemporary evaluation of the Dabistan, a seventeenth century work in Persian, which is a unique study of different religious creeds. The letter gives some explanation of the Dabistan and provides some examples. It is dated 20 July 1820, handwritten, 8 sides.