AN INTERESTING CURIOSITY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2286, 25 November 1889, Page 2

AN INTERESTING CURIOSITY.

Among the valuable ouriositieß to be sent to the Dunedin Exhibition is on 3 m the form of a Persian M.S. of the Koran, with annotations, m the possession of Mr G. Kennedy, of Forest HiU, late Borgeant m the 72 id Highlanders, and taken by him fioua the Pdiace of Bala Hissar aftor the capture of Kabul by General Bobaiti' troopa m the Afghan War 0' 1879. The MS. comprises 685 pages of olosely written matter, each page contniuiog 31 lines, 6£ia lon<. m all about 21 250 lineg, exolusive of introductory nutter. The work begins wherj European booka end, is r«ad and writ en from the top to the bottom of the page, fiom tight to lsf t, and the first word of eioh leaf following (or alternate page) is given throughout the volume. The first leif confa'ns largo Persian c> araoter*, not In solid blaok, bat filled m with minuie writing disoernible wlih the magnifying glasa, and ia probably a dedication. Ficing this page is»an ornate design, whioh correßpoLds to a publisher's imprint, and tha characters m°y refer to the ' Moulvle,' or eoribe. The following or third page contains large Persian ohar oterz m solid blaok, embe'lished with obaraoiers and geometnoal designs on the blnck ground. 'J his appears, from the different Btyle and finish, to have been written on the fly lenf facing the title page, a new fly leaf of different paper being inserted, and may contain the name and the titles of the Amir who owned the book. On the next page is a riohly ilia minated design In vermillion and bin*, with writing m Indian ink ornamentally arranged and enclosed with borders, the whole showing surprising skill and taste. This corresponds to the title page. The first two pages of, the M8 f proper have received a larger amount of attention than the bulk of the work, and commence with a beautifully illuminated design relieved with gold, which will oompsre favorably wkh the beat samples of European Illuminated M S,S,, and immediately below the heading ooours the best specimen, of writing m the book, as close examination showa it has been executed with beautiful freedom and finish, and with the reed instead of the brush. Gold la aleo oaed m the body of the first two pages and m Iho borders throughout the book. Tha M.S.. has been wr.tteo with such uniform preoision and taste, that the ntatness, although executed with • reed, rivals European type, and the volume oloeeß with writing 01 a difforent character, probably Arabic, aud a Bymbolioal design of eocentrlo circles, whioh suggests the orescent apd atar within a cirole, or iHiamlam unending. The material on which the MS. is written ia presumably tic© paper, pale buff, thin but tough, is highly glazed on both sides with a preparation soluble m water, and Bhows water lines as m handmade paper. The work has been written with Indian ipk, having occasional passages m vermilion. There are also numerous marginal notes, which, are written m a different hand, aud the color, and finish show that the 'notes must haye been added after the completion of (ho work, The leaves have largo margin* L»eypnd the borders an,d aro sewn \rx folios qf four eh.eet§, The etiohing has no look; utHch, but is carried to the ai|k bands which hold tho folios together, but aria not used to secure tho oovor. X^ leathur on the exterior 9* t)>s oovor Is daik green, rather ooarHo«gruiuocJ, and as two nk»s a wero requlrud to oovor, . tho two oovoro being julnod at tho bnok, the Of.ahmoro kld'a bjcln uiuy havo boon ÜBod. Fino gralaod arluisou lauthot Utios the iaslde, and the cwoi 1 lv ooourod by p»Qtlng 0 lnnldo ltathor to tho bnok of tho book, whero n utrl|> hint luion unod to concoal tho joint. A luoro yotlow nllU covor ptoioota tho buok ieon\ (ii\B(. This volume ia roputod to hwvo bou<i oompllod for family v/orahip by ordor of tho groat grandfathor of Dust Mohotnud Khau. When Poralan eoholaro asoortnin the natno of tho author sad approx'uuto date of carrying out tho bonk, It may attain groat value as A blbli^raphloul nod historical rollo. -,'< Donodln Hornl^"