Show OLD manuscripts IN LEATHER they are remnants Rem nanto of the long lost man chean literature in the geiman government lent an expedition under the lead of dr alfred gruenwedel Grun wedel one of the directors of the of ethnology to turban in the extreme east of chinese turkestan Turk estan says a writer in harper s magazine the great find al consists of the enormous number of about fragments of manuscripts more or less extensive written in an alphabet which is a modification of the script that goes under the name of the modifications of this alphabet are quite serious some of the syriac betteis are wanting others are modified in form and there are also some new letters these manuscripts are written for the most part on paper but one is on silk and a few are on white kid these last were found in old shoes being cut into the shape of a toot and laid on the inner soles of the shoes as to strengthen the foundation ahey are all written carefully and dis with calligraphic chapter ini bials each page in the manner of modern books has at the top a head ing stating the contents of the page n yellow green blue or red some lew contain miniatures of exquisite workmanship the lines are in gen eral short this Is a noticeable peculiarity of the entire collection the texts are throughout of mani chean origin the fragments are remnants of the long lost literature such as they are they con tain the sole remnants of the man chean bible our knowledge of mani and the Manic heans up to this time was at second hand of orlen tal writers and christian church fathers |