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lofty buildings which surrounded those Baolis prevented the sun's rays from reaching the surface of water in them, and it appeared as if the sun was ashamed to show its face to that pure water. They were so magnificent that you would suppose them to be the dwelling of gods. They were as cool as celestial habitations which are refrigerated by the gentle breeze of the sea. ***The buildings which were on the banks of the river were as splendid as the moon, and the surface of the water in that river was covered with lotus flowers. *** It never left * * * in all seasons it was very deep. * * * The moon shone very beautifully on its rapid streams, and resembled a mirror. The temples were as free from impurities as the hearts of gods are pure from all vice. **** In the river there were all kinds of fish. *** That victorious Rajá who had subdued all his passions, used to live in those palaces. *** They were more beautiful than women who are adorned with all kinds of ornaments, and the Raja had made this city the museum of all the curiosities of the world. *** It is well known that Baolis are usually embellished by kumud flowers, but these Baolis were so beautifully constructed and ornamented that kumud flowers owed their beauty to them.*** This Rajá was as glorious and powerful as the gods. The Hill of white stones which shone like the moon in the cold season derived its beauty from the occasional visits of this Monarch who had planted numerous trees (on it.) He conquered all his enemies. This city **** was repopulated by him.

The writer of these verses was them on this stone was Anrudh.

*** and the person who transcribed

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL,

FOR SEPTEMBER, 1847.

The regular monthly meeting of the Asiatic Society was held on Wednesday evening, the 1st. September, 1847.

The LORD BISHOP, in the chair.

The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed, and the accounts and vouchers for August laid on the table as usual.

The following gentlemen were ballotted for and duly elected members of the Society:

:

Dr. Lamb, Superintending Surgeon.

Gilson R. French, Esq.

William McDougal, Esq.

Major Waugh, the Surveyor General of India, was named for ballot at the October meeting; proposed by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., seconded by Dr. W. B. O'Shaughnessy.

In consequence of the absence of Major Marshall, his notice of motion, that all sections and committees of the Society be authorized to elect their own Secretaries, was not brought forward.

Read letters from H. M. Elliott, Esq., Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department, accepting Mr. Frith's offer to join the Thibet Mission.

From H. M. Elliott, Esq., Secretary to Government of India Foreign Department, promising to forward Lieutenant Strachey's narrative of his tour in the lake districts of Manasarowar and Rakas Tal, From Major Anderson, C. B., Ishapore, forwarding a paper on the route of the Chinese traveller Hiuan Thsang.

From Mr. Logan, Singapore, with a paper on Lamination and Laminar Coloration accompanying Iron-masked Walls in the Sedimentary Rocks of Singapore, &c.

From B. H. Hodgson, Esq., on the Tame Sheep and Goats of the sub-Himalayas and Thibet.

From Capt. William Munro, announcing his retirement from the Society in consequence of his departure to England.

From II. Cope, Esq., forwarding, on the part of the Archæological Society of Dehli, a memoir by Messrs. Cope and Lewis "on the Town and Palace of Feerozabad, in the vicinity of Dehli.”

From Capt. Kittoe, on the route of Fa Hian through the Province. of Behar.

From Baboo Nrependernath Tagore, Honorary Secretary to the Tuttwabodhini Sabha, presenting a copy of the first Kulpa of the "Tuttwabodhini Patrika."

From Baboo Debendernath Tagore, forwarding a Buddhistical image recently exhumed in the vicinity of the Temple of Tribeni, near Hooghly.

On the part of the Council of the Society the Secretaries submitted their unanimous recommendation-that Capt. William Munro, be elected an Honorary member of the Society, as a tribute of their sense of the zeal and success with which he has applied his varied scientific attainments to numerous enquiries of general utility during his late service in India.

That Capt. Munro's report on the Timber Trees of Bengal be forwarded to the Millitary Board, as that of the Asiatic Society, with the due acknowledgment of the valuable aid Capt. Munro has afforded, also that the Report be published in the Journal.

A letter having been received by Mr. Laidlay from Colonel Sykes, announcing that the Court of Directors had sanctioned the immediate publication of the Rig Veda in London, to be edited by Dr. Muller, with a translation by Professor Wilson, at an expense of Rs. 40,000, the Council felt it to be their duty to direct the immediate suspension of all outlay on the edition of the same work recently sanctioned by the Asiatic Society of Bengal under the editorial management of Dr. Roer.

With this resolution Dr. Roer at once complied, and addressed the subjoined letter to the Council, recommending that instead of the Rig Veda the Society undertake to publish the Sanhita of the Yajus Veda, one of equal importance.

Extract of a letter from COL. SYKES, dated "India House," 2d July, 1847.

64

"The views I propounded in my notes upon Ancient India, are making some progress on the continent. Monsr. Manfried, in his recent work, Essai sur l'origine dés principaux Peuples Anciens" has adopted, with few exceptions, the whole of my opinions; and justifying his adoption upon logical deductions. We shall presently, I suspect, have further reason to acknowledge the soundness of some of these opinions in the revelations of the Rig Veda, the text of which the Asiatic Society will be glad to learn, the Court of Directors have authorized to be published, together with an English translation, at the expense of £4000. The Editor is a very profound Oriental Scholar, although a young man, Dr. Max Muller. His labours will extend over a period of five years."

To Dr. W. B. O'SHAUGHNESSY,

Senior Secretary, Asiatic Society, Dated Asiatic Society, the 27th August, 1847.

SIR, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated the 20th instant, and in reply to report to you for the information of the Committee of Papers, that in compliance with their instructions I have put an immediate stop to the progress of the work relative to the proposed edition of the Sanhita of the Rigveda, and that in the course of this month I shall submit to the Society the portion that has been completed.

As it is not stated in the letter of Col. Sykes, that a commencement of the edition has been made in London, I beg to submit it to the Society, whether they think fit to place as much of the text and commentary, as is ready for the press, after having passed the Oriental Section, at the disposal of the Honourable the Court of Directors.

Although under the circumstances set forth in your letter, I fully agree with the propriety of discontinuing the printing of the Rigveda, yet I do not perceive a reason why the printing of this Veda at home should induce the Society entirely to give up an undertaking into which they have embarked before the eyes of the literary world, and of which the difficulties have been now for the greater part overcome.

The Sanhita of the Rigveda is but a small portion of the Vedas, a complete edition of which requires the united energies of many colabourers. I would

therefore suggest to the Society to go on with their work, and to publish within the space of five years in which the Sanhita of the Rig will be printed in London, another part of the Vedas, for instance, the Sanhita of the Yajur, which is of equal importance. Thus the wishes of the Directors and the learned public would be gratified, two parts, instead of one, of the important work at once appearing, and we would at the same time redeem the pledge which the Society for a long time has owed to the Directors. In conclusion I beg to draw the attention of the Society to the circumstance, that an edition of the Vedas in India possesses an advantage which is altogether wanting in Europe. Even the most distinguished scholar has to make a new study for the Vedas to master their language and grammar, but while in Europe he is limited to his own resources, he can here at every stage of the work avail himself of the assistance of Pundits, by which, to say the least, the publication must be greatly accelerated.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,
E. ROER,

Co-Secretary, Asiatic Society, Oriental Dept.

The Council regarding this proposal as deserving attentive consideration, recommended that the Oriental Section be solicited to report upon it at their earliest convenience for the information of the Society.

Dr. Roer also having most liberally proposed to place as much of the text and commentary of the Rig Veda as he had already prepared for the press, at the disposal of the Hon'ble the Court of Directors, the Council recommended Dr. Roer's offer for the acceptance and thanks of the Society.

Some discussion ensued as to the expediency of discontinuing the preparation of the Rig Veda on the unofficial communication above refered to.

It was observed, that having commenced in this country where greater facilities for accuracy and expedition existed, a text and commentary with translation, after much delay and application of the Oriental funds to other general uses of the Society, it must be desired not too hastily to drop the task, except with the exact knowledge of what was doing and wished to be done by the Home authorities.

Accordingly, on the proposition of Mr. Bushby, it was carried by a majority, that pending the reply to an immediate reference to the India

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