These Papers consist of items collected or made by Henry Harkness. They include copies and rubbings of inscriptions, a Commentary on Aryabhatta theorems made by Dikshitan & Ellayan, an abridged Treatise on Mirkum, or Logic, Manusyâlaya-candrikā and Fourteen Chapters of the Suryasiddhanta with Commentary, and the names of the Divinities of the Zodiac.

In 1934, a vase was unearthed in excavations at Tell ed-Duweir (Tell Lachish) in an expedition led by James Leslie Starkey. Theodor Gaster undertook to decipher the inscription on the vase, but before his decipherment was announced in The Times Newspaper the decipherment had been attributed to another. The items that comprise this collection are:

• Letter from Theodor Gaster to Colonel Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to lodge with him a 'lettre cachée' with his decipherment of the new script found on the vase. He claimed that he had originally communicated the decipherment to James Starkey but had suppressed its publication until the discovery of the ewer had been announced in The Times. However, in that time, another had been attributed with the decipherment. He was therefore sending a copy of his letter to Starkey, as proof of his claim, to both the Royal Asiatic Society and the Palestine Exploration Fund. With the letter is his copy of the decipherment and an envelope labelled 'Lettre cachée deposited with the R.A.S. by Theodor Gaster on 12.6.34'.
• "Discovery at Tell Duweir: Identification of the Characters" - letter to the Editor printed in The Times, 12 June 1934, written by Theodor Gaster.
• "Discovery at Tell Duweir: Early Alphabets" - letter to the Editor printed in The Times, 13 June 1934, written by Alan H. Gardiner disputing the decipherment.
• "Discovery at Tell Duweir: A Translation of the Inscription" - letter to the Editor printed in The Times, dated 20 June 1934, written by F. Melian Stawell to add her contribution to the decipherment.

Notes on the Ancient Figures and Inscriptions from Márab sent to the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society by George Smythan, and resented by The President of the Society, John Wilson. A description and analysis of inscriptions on stones found by Dr A. Mackell at the town of Márab or Sábá, believed to be the seat of the Queen of Sheba. Four stones were found, two of which were acquired and facsimiles made for the others. Mackell believed the inscriptions were more Ethiopic in character. Wilson compares these inscriptions with ones found by J.G. Hulton and J. Smith (see Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol.5, 1838, p.91). Wilson however suggests these may be of Sabean origin. The article is dated 28 November 1836 with a postscript, dated 2 December 1839, concerning Wilson's reluctance to have his findings published.

With the article are three lithograph sheets showing the figures and inscriptions.

'Extract of a letter from Captain Kittoe, addressed to Colonel Sykes, dated Behar (Bihar), 31 March 1848' in which he writes of his difficulties in collecting inscriptions in the area. He has visited one which gives a long list of Guptas. He has found some Buddhist inscriptions in good condition which he describes.

Correspondence and Papers written by Captain Thomas John Newbold between 1842 and 1849. The majority of the correspondence is from Newbold to Richard Clarke, the Secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society. The Papers were mainly sent by Newbold to be read at the Society or published in its Journal.

Twenty-six items of correspondence plus a further label. The majority of the correspondence is from Thomas Newbold to Richard Clarke. There is a single letter from Newbold to George Thomas Staunton; and a single letter from Richard Wood to Newbold.

Letter from Captain Thomas John Newbold to Richard Clarke, Secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society, to enclose a facsimile of the sun-dial of the Mosque of Jebel-Gheyushi near Cairo and a copy of an inscription from the Hippicus or Tower of David at Jerusalem. These are with the letter. He describes the dial and the positioning of the inscription. He writes that he has just returned from Petra. With the letter is a transcription.

Letter from Captain Thomas John Newbold to Richard Clarke, Secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society, enclosing a paper on the present state of the sites of the seven churches of Asia referred to in the Book of Revelation.

Letter from Captain Thomas John Newbold to Sir George Thomas Staunton in which he writes that he is returning to India after two years in Syria, Palestine and Asia Minor. The fine climate of Syria has improved his health. He intends returning to India through Persia. He sends with the letter copies of inscriptions to be presented to the Royal Asiatic Society. He writes to warn that a parcel of his had been lost last December. He writes of his thoughts on archaeology after the success of Messrs Layard and Botha at Nineveh. Please note that part of this letter is over-written by Newbold - the writing being both horizontally and vertically on the page.

Letter from Captain Thomas John Newbold to Richard Clarke, Secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society, enclosing a paper for the Society on "the country between Tyre and Sidon and the Jordan" together with a note to be added to his paper on the Seven Churches of Asia. Newbold also encloses a Paper on the "Site at Bether" (see TJN/2/4). In a long postscript he writes about Rawlinson's mission in Persia and sends some inscriptions from the Syrian sites.