gallant prince. Shah Abbass used to speak of him as the friend of his soul, who had daily drank out of the same cup with him, ever since they first met in his pavilion at Casvin,' and for whose sake, as well as on the best political grounds, he granted the most encouraging protection, and privileges to the settlement of Christian merchants in his dominions. It is said that the two British Knights eminently assisted their benefactor in military tactics, and particularly taught him the use of artillery. In return for some of these services, he bestowed a lady of such reputed high rank on Sir Robert Sherley, that it was probable she was of the blood royal, it being no uncommon honour for the sovereigns of Persia to confer the hand of a daughter, or a sister, on a favourite minister. That the Sherleys were not of the national faith would hardly be an obstacle in the way of the universally tolerating Shah Abbass. These recollections of my brave countrymen could not fail to fill me with an additional sentiment of regret, when viewing the now abandoned spot, which was once so flourishing under their protection and influence."

ARTICLE V.

work by

عيون الانبا في طبقات الاطبا Extract from the won entitled

or, Fountains of Information respecting the "classes of Physicians, by Muwaffik-uddin Abú-labbás Ahmad Ibn Abú Usaibiah, by the Rev. W. CURETON; with remarks by PROFESSOR H. H. WILSON.

INTRODUCTION.

THE following extract was originally made with the view of forming a collection of such passages relative to India as may occur in Arabic writers. The further prosecution of this design appears to be rendered unnecessary by the publication of a work by Mr. Gildemeister, of Bonn, of which the first fasciculus has appeared, entitled Scriptorum Arabum de Rebus Indicis loci et opuscula inedita, 8vo. Bonn, 1838. At page 94, he has spoken at some length of the names of Indian authors and books, which occur in this chapter of Ibn Abu Usaibiâh; and Dietz in his Analecta Medica, Lips. 1833, p. 117, has given a great part of the chapter. The whole of it is now supplied, as, independently of the information which it affords relative to the scientific intercourse between India and Bagdad, it contains some interesting anecdotes of the time of Harún Alrashíd.

The translation has been made from a MS. in the Rich collection in. the British Museum. A few collations of the names of persons, or titles of books, have been supplied from two MSS. in the Bodleian Library, Poc. 356, Hunt. 171, and from the MSS. copy of Haji Khalfa, also in the Rich collection. It does not appear necessary to make any further remarks here relative to Ibn Abu Usaibiâh, than that he lived at the commencement of the thirteenth century of our era, and died A.н. 668.

CHAP. XII.-ON THE PHYSICIANS WHO WERE FROM INDIA.

كنكه الهندي ; KANKAH THE INDIAN

He was skilful as a philosopher amongst the ancient philosophers of India, and one of the greatest of men. He investigated the art of physic, the power of medicines, the nature of compound substances, and the properties of simple substances. He was the most learned of all men in the form of the universe, the composition of

The meaning of the above letter appears to be as follows:

"The Malim of the Arab boat to all the people of the Maldives stopping at Galle.

"The chief's greeting: the boats now at this port are the Arab boat of Finladu, the offering boats' of Fadiyaru and Ahammadidi, and the boats of Manduge and Hiti-gas-darhu-ge; all the people are in good health; send what news you have at your port: I hereby send what news there is at this port. A new governor is come from Europe; the king of England is dead. Very many greetings. We have sold at this port Himiti fish for seventy-seven dollars, Maleatolu fish for sixty-seven, and Fadingfulu fish weighed (?) for forty-seven ; having sold the fish, we are waiting for the price. Very many greetings. This is written on Thursday. If God permits, I shall sail in fourteen days; such is my wish."

NOTE.

IN consequence of the commercial intercourse which subsists between the inhabitants of the islands of Maldiva and those of the island of Ceylon, Sir A. Johnston, when Chief Justice and President of His Majesty's Council at Ceylon, made a collection, at the time he was preparing a customary code for the observance of the different classes of people on the island of Ceylon, of the customs and usages observed by the natives of the islands of Maldiva, as well in criminal as in civil cases, and procured from some of the natives who came over to Ceylon, for the purposes of trade, such information as they could afford him relative to the religion, history, language, written characters, fisheries, the variety of the vegetable productions of the islands, and the coral formations on them and in their neighbourhood. In the course of his inquiries he procured several copies of the Maldiva alphabet, a vocabulary in the Maldiva language, with translations opposite each word in Cingalese and Tamul, one of the letters from the sultan to the governor of Ceylon, a copy of a song which was popular amongst the Maldiva mariners, and sung by them when they were working, in order to enable them to keep time; two copies of their charts; a copy of the Maldiva translation of the New Ephemeris; one of the fore-staffs; and a copy in the Maldiva language of the book of astrology, according to which their navigators decided

These are the vessels which bring the annual presents to the government of Ceylon, mentioned in the following page.

upon the days of departure from, and the days of arrival at, different places, and the probable success of their voyage. Sir Alexander some time ago presented the above things to the Asiatic Society, and gave the following memorandum respecting the inhabitants of Maldiva, as the result of his inquiries.

The inhabitants of the islands of Maldiva are supposed to be descended from some Cingalese inhabitants of Ceylon, who were wrecked on one of the Maldiva islands between four and five hundred

years ago. In consequence of that circumstance, a commercial intercourse has been kept up between the islands of Maldiva and Ceylon for many ages. The sultan of the Maldiva islands sends an agent or minister every year to the government of Ceylon, with presents consisting of some very curious mats, manufactured on the Maldiva islands; some sweetmeats of many different descriptions; a considerable quantity of dried fish, consisting of bonitos, albicores, and a fish called by the inhabitants of the Maldivas the black fish, or comboli mas; a piece of the sea cocoa-nut, to which the natives of the Maldivas attribute great medical properties; and some of the small shells, known throughout India by the name of Cowries, which are found in great numbers in the neighbourhood of the Maldiva islands, and which are used as a description of circulating medium in Bengal. As soon as the Maldiva agent arrives at Colombo, the governor of the island appoints a day for his landing and for his reception, and receives him with considerable form at the Government-house, a guard of soldiers, with an officer at their head, being appointed to attend him when he lands at the beach. After his public audience with the governor is over, and he has delivered all his presents, and a letter from the sultan of the Maldivas to the governor, he asks, and always receives, permission for himself and his countrymen to trade for the season during which they remain in Ceylon. As soon as he has done his commercial transactions, and is ready to return to the Maldivas, he receives a certain number of presents from the governor for the sultan, consisting of broad-cloth, and stationery of all descriptions, and having received a letter from the governor to the sultan, takes his departure, and returns to the Maldivas. During the S.W. monsoon, a great many Maldiva vessels come to trade both at Point de Galle and Colombo. They are much better built, and are of a prettier shape, than the dhonies or vessels which come to those ports from most parts of India, and are said to sail very well.

The late Marquis of Londonderry, when Secretary of State for the colonies, had determined, upon the suggestions of Sir Alexander

Johnston, to have a scientific man permanently residing as an agent on behalf of the British Government on Mali, the principal of the Maldiva islands, for the purpose of acquiring a thorough knowledge of the natural history of the islands, particularly of the coral formations by which all these islands are surrounded, and of everything connected with their fisheries; and also for the purpose of forming a commercial treaty between the sultan of the Maldivas and the British Government, the principal object of which was to induce the sultan to open the ports of all the different islands to every British subject who might wish to trade directly with any of them; and to allow a surveying vessel to be sent from Ceylon for the purpose of making an accurate survey of the whole of the islands. This plan, however, was given up upon Lord Londonderry retiring from the office of Colonial Secretary, and his successor in office not authorizing the governor of Ceylon to incur the expense of such a measure.

It is understood that a most accurate survey has lately been made of the whole of these islands, by Captain Moresby and the officers under his command.