pose. It is inferred, for instance, that Mirkhond and Khondemír were either ignorant of its existence, or borrowed from it without acknowledgment. Now the fact is, that Mirkhond, in the preface to the Rozat-al-saffa, mentions this very work as one of the sources to which he was indebted for his materials. His words are', "Kh'ája Rashíd tabíb, sáhib-i Jámi, that is, Khája Rashíd, the physician, author of the Jámi," i.e. The Collection, or Universal History. Of Khondemír, I do not happen to possess a copy, but at all events, there can be no reason to suppose that he was ignorant of the Jami, as he must have read the works of his immediate predecessor, Mirkhond. It would be endless as well as useless to mention other writers who allude to the Jámi al Tawáríkh. In the introduction to the fourth volume of the Kimiya-e-Sa'ádat, the author expresses his obligations to the Jámi al Tawarikh, of Kh'ája Rashid, the wazír. Even the very thieves who stole the Society's fragment out of the volume now in possession of Colonel Baillie's successor, seemed to have very well known what they were about, for the fragment is marked, "az Jámi al Tawáríkh," i.e. out of the Collection of Histories.

In the Society's MS., No. 14, already alluded to as being a duplicate of the old fragment of the life of Shakmuni, there is prefixed (in Persian) an account of the author and his works, of which, as it is not long, a translation is here subjoined. "It is well known that the Jámi al Tawárikh, compiled by Kh'ája Rashid al-dín, contains a history of the whole world, both as regards the lives of the prophets, and the manners and conduct of the kings of every region. In the same work the writer hath also given a sketch of the history of India; for he had learned something of the tenets of the sages of that country from (competent) people, and part (of his information) he had from the book of Abul ríhán Birúní, who, having frequently travelled to India in the service of Sultan Mahmúd, the son of Sabaktagín, had held intercourse with the sages of that country. After he had made thorough proficiency in the sciences of the Indian philosophers, he translated, from the Indian language into the Arabic tongue, the book of Patankal, or Patanjal, which is a collection of all the sciences, and one of the most valuable works of the sages of Hind, (like the Kitab i Shaffa, by Shaikh al-rasi.) It contains an account of all their various sects, and the history of their ancient

in a MS. in my possession, entitled Majma al Gharáíb, the Jámi al Tawáríkh is quoted on a matter of chronology which is assuredly from the latter volumes, stating that, "from the fall of Adam to the birth of Muhammad there had elapsed 6102 years, six months, and ten days!"

kings, also the life of Shakmuni, who, according to their opinion, and the testimony of Kamakshari al Bakhshí al Kashmírí, is the guiding prophet of the people of Hind and Khatá. To this work he gave the name of Patanjal, a copy of which he carried away with him.

"Since the history and actions of Shakmuni, who was once the prophet of the people of India, have, through the lapse of time, sunk into oblivion, I, the meanest of God's servants, Abd ul Kádir, resident of Devi, of Lakhnau, have transcribed the following account of him from the Jámi al Tawáríkh. And, at the request of the high in dignity and rank, Major Herbert, I have made a translation of it into easy Persian. In certain parts the original was defective and obliterated; these defects, with their proposed corrections, I have marked on the margin. Deo soli scientia."

I have nothing further to add respecting this rare and ancient work, except to express my regret that it has not been deposited in the Society's library, where it might be accessible to Oriental scholars. There may be other valuable MSS. in Colonel Baillie's collection, which I have not had time to examine; and I shall only mention here, a very fine copy of the Mahábhárata. It is beautifully written on one roll of fine paper, laid on cotton or silk, and abounds with well-executed paintings, representing most of the complicated events described in Hindu mythology. I believe it contains the whole work, as the writing is extremely small, though very distinct. The roll is about 220 feet long, and I should say from four to five inches wide within the margin, which is ornamented and illumined throughout.

I am, sir, yours faithfully,

8, Alfred-street, Bedford-square, 26th October, 1839.

D. FORBES.

P.S. In the preceding letter I have alluded to a Persian MS. in the Society's possession, entitled a Catalogue of the Library of Farzáda Kuli. This work is frequently quoted by my friend M. Garcin de Tassy, in his Histoire de la Litterature Hindoui et Hindoustani, lately published; for which reason I beg leave to subjoin the following extract from an account of it, which was read at one of the meetings of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1838.

"The accompanying MS. is a catalogue of books in the Arabic,

Persian, and Hindu languages, amounting, on a rough estimate, to upwards of 2000 volumes. It is fairly written and well arranged, the works being classed under the different subjects of which they treat, as may be seen by referring to the second blank leaf at the beginning, where I have given an abstract of the contents.

"Of the works here mentioned, many, I believe, are unknown, even by name, in this country; but there is one in particular which merits attention, as it has been long given up for lost by the Orientalists of Europe. I allude to the original Arabic text of the Chronicles of Tabari, which is here described (p. 10) as follows:-'The Chronicles of Tabarí-the Author's Autograph, with seventy portraits of prophets, his Eminence the Apostle, and various princes, IN THE ARABIC LANGUAGE-RARE.'

"Here then it is evident that the original of Tabarí existed (in all probability) in India within the last forty or fifty years. Unfortunately there is no date, nor name of person or place mentioned in the book, from which we could discover of whose library it is the catalogue. The last words are the writer's name, Dávar Bakhsh, a piece of information of no great consequence. On the first blank leaf some one has written, barbarously enough, in Roman characters', what I believe is intended for Persian, and apparently signifies 'A Catalogue of the Library of Ferzada Kole;' but even this affords us very little enlightenment. I am led, however, to infer from circumstances in the first place, that the book has been written within the last forty or fifty years; this is evident from its mentioning (p. 90) the Diwán of Sauda, a Hindustani poet, who died only a few years before the commencement of the present century. Se. condly, it is a catalogue of the library of some prince, as may indeed be inferred from its extent, but still more from an expression that occurs in page 95, viz., 'A list of the books remaining in the old chest belonging to his August and Sublime Highness.' Thirdly and lastly, there is every reason to infer, that the prince alluded to was Indian, from the number of Hindí books mentioned in the catalogue, and in the list referring to the old chest aforesaid.

"If the above inferences may be relied on, we have reason to hope that the original and genuine text of Tabarí, the Livy of Arabia, may yet be recovered. It would seem that an ancient manuscript of it did lately exist in India, and is, in all probability, there still. As to its being the autograph of the author, I believe we are to take that expression 'cum grano salis' as we do the originals of Corregio and Rubens, &c., so very plentiful among picture dealers and amateurs.

'It runs thus,-Ferisht Khootab Khanna Ferzuda Kole.

But whether the MS. here alluded to, be, or be not, the author's own copy is a question of minor importance. The main object is to rescue it, ere it be too late, from that state of obscurity in which it at present lies, and to that end I have been induced to lay this brief and imperfect notice of it before the members of the Asiatic Society. It is probable that some individual out of that learned body may be able to trace the history of the MS. catalogue here presented. The booksellers from whom I had it, could tell me nothing as to whence it came, or whose it had been.

"It would be tedious to notice many of the rare works mentioned in the catalogue; there are a few, however, which I cannot pass over. In page 11, we have 'The Mustafa Náma, in the metre of the Shahnáma, containing the history of Persia (or rather of Islámism) from Muhammad to Tahmasp of the Sufí family, amounting to 104,000 couplets, beautifully written, and ornamented with gold dust.' Such is the literal translation of the description given of this stupendous work, which is very nearly twice the size of the Shahnáma, and embraces a period of about a thousand years.

"Further on, among the works on Philosophy, Logic, and Rhetoric, are mentioned several pieces translated from Aristotle, Plato, and other wise men of Greece, all of which are highly interesting. There is also a Persian translation of the Makámát of Haríri, which would be invaluable in explaining many passages of that learned, but, to us, obscure writer."

To the above remarks, written nearly two years ago, I must now add my altered belief that the Tarikh i Tabari, mentioned in the catalogue, is nothing else than Colonel Baillie's MS. of the Jámi al Tawáríkh. This I infer from the identity of the description given of both, and, above all, from the number of pictures agreeing in both. The doubts which I might feel as to the genuineness of Tabari's autograph, do not apply to the Jámi al Tawárikh. Tabari lived a thousand years ago; and Rashíd al Dín finished his history only as far back as a little more than half that period. That the Jámi al Tawárikh is really and truly what it purports to be, viz, the author's own copy, written under his own inspection, I have not the least reason to doubt, as I have seen manuscripts of an older date in as good a state of preservation. Should any of your readers feel sceptical on this point, they may easily satisfy themselves by carefully examining the hand-writing and paper, and comparing the same with others of the corresponding era.

D. F.

ART. III.-Vocabulary of the Maldivian Language, compiled by LIEUT. W. CHRISTOPHER, I. N. Communicated to the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, by JOHN WILSON, D.D.

NOTE BY DR. WILSON.

THIS Vocabulary was compiled by Mr. CHRISTOPHER during his residence on the Maldive Islands. I have prefixed to it an extract from a communication referring to it, with which I was favoured at the time that it was forwarded to me, and which will sufficiently explain several circumstances connected with its preparation.

There can be little doubt entertained, after the inspection of the vocabulary, of the Indian or Cingalese origin of the great body of the inhabitants of the Maldives. It is a curious fact, first pointed out to me by two natives of Hinzuán, that the alphabet now in use in the Maldives, is derived principally from the Arabic numerals. J. W.

It is needless to speak of the difficulties of acquiring a language without any guide or assistance: all languages have presented much the same obstacles to the first students; I hope the knowledge I have acquired will be sufficient to ensure a correct beginning, and future progress, according to the old adage, will then be easy.

The construction of the Maldivian is evidently akin to that of the languages of the East (India,) so that no possibility of a doubt remains (if speech is a just criterion) as to their derivation from some eastern people.

The accompanying vocabulary contains the words which I have selected from notes, sentences, and translations, obtained through the medium of native Maldivians, and I think they may be fully relied on for accuracy. The orthography is the only questionable part, as few natives adopt the same mode of spelling words that are not in common, every day, use. They possess no grammar of their language amongst them, at least my inquiries uniformly met with a negative, although many have a very correct idea of the advantage of a standard book to teach from, or that might be referred to in difficulties.

In rendering the sounds of the Maldive letters, I have followed the system generally styled the classical, in distinction from