As Dr. Marshall proceeded to England on leave in April 1910, and I was appointed to officiate during his absence, it fell to me to arrange for the publication of Dr. Francke's materials. No task could have been more welcome to me, since for several years I had found in Dr. Francke a fellow-scholar who had chosen a field of research bordering on that which it had been my good fortune to explore. Personal experience thus enabled me to appreciate the value of Dr. Francke's results as well as the exertions by which they
had been attained,
The Government of India readily sanctioned our proposals which provided for the publication of Dr. Francke's results in two parts, one giving the personal narrative of his adventures and researches and the other containing all inscriptions and chronicles collected by him in the course of his tour. It has been our object in the present volume to illustrate Dr. Francke's account as fully as possible by means of the excellent photographs taken by Baba Pindi Lal of the Archaeological Survey. The forty-five plates, each containing two photographic views, testify to the excellence of Pindi Lai's work, while Dr. Francke's narrative bears ample evidence that the explorer found in his photographer not only a useful assistant but also a cheerful companion who did his work successfully under very trying conditions. The reproduction of the plates was entrusted to the well-known lithographers, Messrs. W. Griggs & Sons, of Peckham, London.
The map showing Dr. Francke's route, which has been added to the present volume is an extract from Survey sheet No. 835-S. 1905. It has been especially prepared by Mr. H. Hargreaves, Superintendent, Archaeological Survey pro tempore, who has marked on it several places not found on the original. Dr. Francke's route, as well as the places visited by him in the course of his tour, has been marked in red. The map has been reproduced at the Office of the Survey of India.
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