ASIATIC SOCIETY.

A meeting of the Asiatic Society was held at Chouringhee, on Wednesday evening, the 21st Sept.; W. B. Bayley, Esq., Vice-President, in the chair.

At this meeting Lieut. Col. Blacker, Lieut. Jenkins, and Mr. Alleyn, were elected members of the Society.

A note was read from Mr. Gibbons, transmitting, in the name of Mr. Palmer, two small stuffed figures representing a man and woman of the Bosjec tribe, at the Cape of Good Hope.

A model of the great war boat, 100 feet long, and finely gilt, &c., which was presented by the King of Ava to the Shoo Dagon Pagoda at Rangoon, has been added to the museum by Major G. P. Baker. This model was taken by a ship-builder on a scale, and only shews the proportions of the vessel, without any of its carved and gilded embellishments.

Capt. Wm. Bruce presented a Burmese religious book, written on the palm-leaf, with the outer leaves highly illuminated and glazed. It was found in the large pagoda at Rangoon, where it was placed in a niche, with a silk curtain drawn before it.

A letter was read from Mr. Van Rensselaer, secretary to the Lyceum of Natural History of New York, presenting the first half.volume of their Annals, and the two first numbers of their second volume, together with an Essay on Salt, containing notices of its origin, formation, geological position, and principal localities in the American States, with a view to its use in the arts, manufactures, and agriculture, by the secretary himself.

Mr. Van Rensselaer has also transmitted to the Society a copy of the statutes regulating the practice of physic and surgery, in the State of New York, and a catalogue of paintings, sculptures, and engravings, exhibited by the American academy of fine arts, in the present year.

A Nepaulese manuscript was presented by Mr. Hodgson.

A letter was read from Dr. Paterson, transmitting a sketch of the progress of science, respecting igneous meteors and meteorites, by E. W. Brayley, which appeared in the Philosophical Magazine for August 1824.

A Meteorological Register for 1824, by Mr. J. Prinsep, of Benares, was also laid before the meeting.

A paper was read by the Secretary, illustrative of the Boudh'ha religion, as established in Nepaul, with translations from the manuscript sent by Mr. Hodgson.

The accounts given by Kirkpatrick and Buchanan of the religion of Nepaul, appear to be far from satisfactory or comprehensive. They only establish that there are two predominant forms of belief, as well as two principal divisions of the people, the Parbutyas, or Mountain Hindus, who worship Seva and Vishnoo, and the Newars, who mostly follow the doctrines of Boudh'ha.

Although Buchanan found it difficult to procure any satisfactory information in Nepaul of the traditions and tenets there prevalent, there is evidently no want of means. The only authentic sources of all such informations are the works which embody and dictate the belief and practices of a people, and that these are both many and voluminous in Nepaul, the Society has had ample proof in the frequent contributions received from their zealous correspondent, Mr. Hodgson. Unluckily, however, the. manuscripts he has hitherto sent have been of little use, being written in languages with which we are not yet familiar. But he has now transmitted a book which is more available. The text is Sanscrit, interspersed with an interpretation in the Newaree language, which, although differing essentially in base and structure, borrows Sanscrit words so copiously, that the purport of many passages can be made out without the knowledge of the language itself. The volume presented by Mr. Hodg-Rules for son, comprizes three tracts :-) the religious observance of the eighth day of the lunar fortnight; the twenty-five stanzas propitiatory of the deities of Nepaul, and the praises of the seven Boudh'has.

Of these it would be tedious and unin teresting to give any analyses.

According to information given to Mr. Buchanan, by a member of the sect, the Got, or gardeners of Nepaul, follow religious teachers and a form of worship of their own. The last consists in the adoration of the ten Yoginis, and Matrikas, and their four instructors, personified by Gots, who drink spirituous liquors, and the blood of animals administered to them, under those characters. Once in twelve years, it is said, the Rajah offers a solemn sacrifice of various living animals, in pairs, and two men, the skulls of the latter being used as the drinking cups of the shrine. The man who gave Buchanan this information declared he had assisted in the immolation of the human victims, but other persons of whom inquiry was made, denied the human sacrifices at the ceremony. The fact is, therefore, questionable, although it is evident from the work under con

that the ritual of the Tantras is closely followed. The offerings, termed Bali and Mahabali, make part of the ceremony, and these very commonly imply the sacrifice of animal life. They are, however, not ne.. cessarily so, and may consist of any edible articles, as various kinds of grain, and curds, and milk, and such are apparently the oblations of the ritual in question; for, towards the close, the sacrificer declares himself innocent of the destruction of ani. mal life in any manner, and of drinking spirits, and the use of salt and meat, and engages to continue so throughout the ensuing day-a pledge very inconsistent with the actual perpetration of the offences imputed to him.

ASIATIC SOCIETY OF PARIS.

Meeting of 2d January.-The following persons were admitted members of the Society.

M. Adrien Dupré, French consul at Salonica. M. P. A. Kunkel, of Aschaffenbourg in Bavaria. M. de Torcy, chief in the office of the minister for foreign affairs.

Mr. Huttmann transmitted to the So. ciety six Chinese coins, of the reigning dynasty of Tsing.

M. Chézy announced that the transcription of the episode of the death of Yadjnadatta, was completed.

M. Jaubert communicated a letter from M. Fontanier, announcing that this traveller is employing himself in the researches pointed out to him by the council. The same member likewise communicated some parts of a letter from M. Desbassyns de Richemont, which intimate the intentions of the writer to concur in the execution of the objects of the Society during his stay in the East.

M. Dureau de la Malle, in the name of M. Guaymard, the naturalist, who is to accompany Capt. Durville in his voyage round the world, proposed to remit to this traveller an intimation of the points on which the Society may desire to obtain information.

M. le Comte Lanjuinais, in the name of the committee nominated at the last meeting, read a report on the proposal for printing the text of the Hindu drama of Sacontala. The conclusions were adopted by the Society, and the printing of this work is stopped.

The inscription in Sanscrit characters, referred to at the last meeting, was returned by M. Chézy, with a note pointing out the date.

M. Grangerat de Lagrange read some observations on Oriental literature.

PROGRESS OF SOUND.

In the last number of the Revue Encyclopédique there is an account of a very

extraordinary proposal, viz. to communicate verbal intelligence in a few moments to vast distances, and this not by symbols, as in the telegraph, but in distinct articu. late sounds uttered by the human voice. This plan originated with an Englishman, Mr. Dick, according to whose experiments the human voice may be made intelligible at the distance of twenty-five or thirty miles. The experiments of the celebrated Biot have ascertained that sound travels ten times quicker when transmitted by solid bodies, or through tubes, than when it passes through the open air; at the distance of more than half a mile the low voice of a man was distinctly heard. At the latter end of the last century, a clergyman named Gautier conceived a plan of transmitting articulate sounds to immense distances; he tunnels, that should widen at the extremiproposed the construction of horizontal ties, by means of which the ticking of a watch might be heard more distinctly at the distance of 2,006 feet than when placed close to the ear: he calculated that a succession of such tunnels would transmit a verbal message 900 miles in an hour.

CHINESE VARNISH.

The Chinese make a secret of the composition of their varnishes. There was an old man at Tomsk, about ten years back, who knew this secret. Having, in his infancy, fallen into the hands of the Khirgheez, he had been carried into China, from whence, after many adventures, he returned to Russia. He made tables, cups and other articles, which he varnished with black, red, and gold: his productions might have been taken for those of China. It is surprizing that no person paid any attention to the fact. It was only by accident we learned the secret of making the black varnish, which we communicate to the public. Take some pure pitch, turn it into a narrow vessel, and let it bake for two or three days over a low fire, until converted into a black compact mass, which does not stick to the hand. Put this mass into a mattrass (or bolt-head) and let it bake over a good fire, pouring into it, little by little, some essence of turpentine if it takes fire, it can be extinguished by closing the matrass with felt. tinue the process until the mass takes a fluid consistency. The articles to be covered with this varnish must be made of wood perfectly dry, and they should be dried afterwards as much as possible.-[Moscow Telegraph.

:

Con

UNION OF THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC.

The message of the president of the Mexican Government contains the following passage:

"Although, as yet, the connexion of the two scas by the isthmus of Tehuantepec by

means

means of a canal is problematical: all doubt has vanished with respect to the fa. cility of opening short and very good roads for the trade of the world. The expedition which the government sent thither, has returned with a confirmation of that point, and having accomplished its purposes for the most part."

TRAVELS OF M. RÜPPELL IN AFRICA

The Bulletin Universel des Sciences of Paris contains the substance of a letter from M. Rüppell, dated Cairo, 14th Aug. 1825, in which he states that he has not been able to penetrate farther than Omsimime. He divides the inhabitants of Kordoufan into four classes, equally ignorant, and absorbed in the pursuit of gain, intestine wars, or fear of the Turks. 1. The Nubas, or free negroes, living isolated on the summits of mountains, or on inaccessible rocks. 2. The inhabitants of the plains, a mixed race, sprung from the Nubas, the Ethiopians, and the Arabs. 3. The Nomade Arabs from the Hedjaz. 4. The Gelabi, or merchants, composed of the inhabitants of all the African provinces situated to the north-west. M. Rüppell and his companions had killed five giraffes (cameleopards) in a short space of time. He does not doubt that the mountains in the environs of Koldage are of volcanic formation. It even appears that the subterranean fires are not yet extinct-an extraordinary circumstance at so great a distance from the sea. The existence of considerable ruins to the south-west of the Obaid is uncertain; but M. Rüppell has been positively assured that in Darfour, four days' journey from Kobbe, there is a large and ancient city in ruins, with a great number of magnificent temples cut in the rock, adorned with columns and hieroglyphics, in the Egyptian style. The place is called Mater. He has been re-assured of the existence of the Niulleka, or Nilukma, an animal which bears on its forehead a straight slender horn, and that the Arabs call it Anasa. All that the traveller has been able to learn respecting the course of the Bahr-el- Abiad, or White Nile, is that during several months, this great river presents but a marshy bed, the water, mud

dy without current. It is only in the rainy

season that immense bodies of water fill it, and cause the astonishing inundation designated by the generic name of Nile. Most of the persons consulted by M. Rüppell knew no river, or torrent which fell into it. From Dabbe to Omismime, an extent of more than eight degrees of latitude, he observed scarcely any elevation of ground, and he believes that the latter place is not 400 feet above the level of the sea. Returning from Kordoufan, M. Rüppell made an excursion of thirty days into the desert, to the south of Korti, towards Gummer. Not far from this place

are the ruins of an ancient city, which is called L'Mokattam, a name denoting that there must be many inscriptions and hieroglyphics in it, as the Arabs acknowledged; but his guides refused to conduct him thither. He descended the Nile from Korti to Meroë and Gebel-Barkal. After some stay at Cairo, he proposes to visit the coasts of the Red Sea.

NEW DOCTRINE OF MEDICINE.

Dr. Prus, of Paris, has just published a new doctrine of medicine, in which he maintains that the study of the healthy man can never lead to the knowledge of the diseased man; that the state of health and state of disease offer distinct phenomena; that the symptoms, heat, signs, and proper treatment of morbid affections, are not disclosed by physiology; and therefore that physiology can never be the foundation of medicine. He subsequently examines the real utility of physiology; points out the inevitable evils which it has caused since its forced introduction into pathology, and places physiological doctrine by the side of those physical, mechanical, and chemical doctrines, the fatal influence of which is nearly universal. The art of healing, according to Dr. Prus, is founded solely on the examination and appreciation of the phenomena which attend a sick person; and he traces them up to their primitive causes, that is, to the changes which the vital properties sustain. Those properties he states to be four, viz. sensibility, contractibility, expansibility, and vital affinity.

THE HEBREW COIN KESITHA.

The Bible makes mention of a coin called Kesitha, a word which the commentators have rendered lamb. Rabbi Akiba assures us, that at the time when he travelled in Judea, an obolus was still called kesitha. M. Münter (in a Danish periodical work) conceives that the ancient Phoenician medal, which Dr. Clarke brought from the ruins of Citium, and published in the account of his travels, is a kesitha. It is a piece rudely made, almost triangular, bearing on one side the impression of a lamb or goat.-[Bull. Univ.

tion.

FORESIGHT.

A letter from the Isle of France, quoted in a Calcutta paper, gives the following particulars of a species of foresight for which this island is celebrated :

"In my next letter I must tell you of

the abilities of some few here to discover ships some days before they appear above the horizon. You may remember the phenomenon having been noticed some time ago in a voyage in the Northern Ocean, I forget the name of both the ship and the captain* on that occasion; but the ship appears in the air inverted, and of course the appearance is accounted for on the common theory of reflection. It is, however, peculiar to certain situations, or at least certain latitudes. One of the men at this place was invited to Paris by the Institute, but he could not observe the same appearance there, and came back. He here makes a daily report, and is rarely out. He has been known to announce a ship dismasted for five days before any other person could discover her (the Dunira, Chinaman), and among many other incontrovertible proofs, he not long ago announced the approach of two brigs unaccountably lashed together; in three days after a ship with four masts made its appearance, a thing that had not been seen for twelve years before. There are two old men that have the skill to discern very accurately, but they have many pupils whom they are teaching, and who can see the objects, though they cannot yet perceive distinctly the particular characters of them."

ANTIQUITIES OF ARRACAN.

The following is part of the diary of Dr. Tytler, who is now in Arracan, which appears in a Calcutta newspaper :

"The Baboo Deeong is one of the most remarkable hills included within the boundaries of this extraordinary city. It is situated in a direction nearly due west from the entrance where the army gained admission subsequent to the escalade which was so gallantly executed by the troops under the command of Brigadier Richards, and is surmounted by four pagodas, or fanes, dedicated to the worship of Gaudma, Saca-Moonee, Si Moonee, Maha Moonee, or Buddha. Leading to those edifices are several flights of steps ascending the eastern face of the hill,

* Capt. Scoresby.-Ed.

of deformed giants, composed of brickwork, and plaistered with chunam, of an uncouth shape, brandishing clubs in their hands; and what is extremely remarkable, figures of the Egyptian Sphinx present themselves close to the temples, and which are so constructed as to exhibit an acute

triangle; two lions' bodies being conjoined

to a single female head, placed at the sharp angle of the building. The Baboo Deeong hill is about 100 feet in height, and composed of strata of shistus, and is completely surrounded with water even when the tide is ebb.

"Surrounding the outer wall of one of the principal and most ancient of the Arracan temples, is observed amongst the weeds and jungle, which in many places obscure those interesting relicts, a series of very surprising mutilated sculptures, placed in interstices resembling embrasures, constructed in the ruined wall enclosing the court of the temple: upon one of those stones is sculptured the Tauric man, or Bucephalus Siva, the Mithra.of the Persians, or in other words, the sun in Taurus. Another distinctly exhibits the Sphinx, consisting of the bust of a wo man, attached to the body and feet of a lion, or the solar luminary having passed Leo and entered Virgo. The dragon's head and tail, shewn in the headless volume of an immense snake's body, are conspicuous upon another stone in the series. Another contains a group apparently comprising the Crow and Sagitarius, and representing a man aiming with an arrow at an evident figure of a raven. Another exhibits a woman seemingly in the act of striking a sleeping man with a stone, which representation I take to form an allusion to the sun leaving Virgo (under the figure of a man slain by a woman, and perhaps mixed up with a perversion of the historical fact of Jael and Sisera) and entering Libra, the first of the lower or southern signs, and thus, slain by Virgo, or the woman, becoming dead and cold to the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere.

"I imagine the whole of the sculptures which are cut on both sides of those stones (a sort of dark friable sandstone) to afford representations of the constellations, and thus exhibit the remains of a very ancient and curious zodiac, totally different in some respects from any with which we are acquainted, and emitting a brilliant ray upon the antiquities of the western world; for between the hieroglyphics of Ava and Egypt, a striking analogy is particularly remarked by Symes, and every day's discoveries tend to confirm the fact."

London Gazette, March 6.

India-Board, March 4, 1826. A despatch has been received at the East-India House from the Gov. Gen. in Council at Fort William, in Bengal, dated 24th of Aug. 1825; with inclosures, of which the following are copies :Copy of Letter from Lieut. Neufville to Capt. Martin, Major of Brigade in Assam, dated Now Dheeing, Mokh, 9th May 1825.

Sir: I have the honour to report, for the information of Col. Richards, commanding, that having received authentic intelligence that the body of the enemy, recently arrived from Mogaum, had pushed on an advanced party of sixty, with three mounted chiefs, to within an accessible distance from my post, for the purpose of throwing up entrenchments at a village about twenty-five miles off, on the Dheeing, I deemed it highly expedient to dislodge them. With that view I embarked in canoes on the afternoon of the 7th, taking with me Ensign Bogle and half the strength of the detachment, calculating that by pushing on the whole night I might be able to reach them by day-break in the morning. The arrangement, I am happy to say, was attended with complete success. I landed about half a mile below the place at early dawn, and by making a detour round the jungle, came on the quarter occupied by the Burmese at a little before five.

On our charging, the enemy immediately fled in the greatest confusion, very closely followed by our men as far as the ground would admit; but as they threw away their arms, and every thing that could impede their flight, even their clothes, we were soon distanced, and obliged to discontinue the pursuit.

They lost either eight or ten killed, and I should suppose many must be wounded from the precision with which the men fired. The principal of the three chiefs (who was recognized by my Burmese to be Lah Daungh Pah) escaped most narrowly, being several times almost at the point of the bayonet.

The only casualty on our part is one sepoy wounded by a punjah.

I have brought down with me the chiefs of the village, prisoners, as security for the ransom of the numerous Assamese captives confined in their jungles.

I feel greatly indebted to Ensign Bogle for his active and cordial co-operation, and the cheerful soldier-like conduct of the men deserves the highest praise.

I have also the honour to report, that having heard of a few straggling Saums from amongst those who quitted Rungpore with Baglee Phokun being concealed in the jungles near Suddeeya, I detached a party to bring them in. Five out of the nine were secured with their families, and I shall take the earliest opportunity to send them down.

I have received a letter from the three chiefs newly arrived, written in their usual style of verbiage, and finishing with a desire that I should immediately go back to Rungpore, and on my arrival there fall back with the whole force out of Assam; to which I returned the annexed reply. I have, &c.

J. B. NEUFVILLE, Lieut., Commg. Now Dheeing Mokh. Reply to Letter of the Chiefs Lah Daungh, Menglah Pah, and Do Koang Pah. (After Compliments.)

I have received your communication. If, my friends, you want us to quit the country of Assam, you had better come and turn us out.

J. B. NEUFVILLE. Copy of Letter from Brig. Gen. Sir A. Campbell, K.C.B., to George Swinton, Esq., dated HeadQuarters, Prome, 10th May 1825.

Sir: Herewith I have the honour to transmit you a document this day received from Major Frith, commanding at Mergui, by which it will appear that the audacity of the Siamese pirates on that coast has met with such a check as will, it is hoped, put a stop to their depredations. I have Asiatic Journ, VOL. XXI. No. 124.

ordered one of the Hon. Company's cruisers to proceed immediately from Rangoon to the coast of Tenasserim, in addition to the one already there, which will be sufficient to keep every thing quiet in that quarter during the monsoon. I have, &c.

A. CAMPBELL, Brig. Gen. Copy of Letter from Lieut. Drever to Major Frith, commanding at Mergui, dated Mergui, 2d April 1825.

Sir: I have the honour to report that, agreeably to your instructions, I embarked on the morning of the 29th ult. with the party as per margin,* in some country boats, manned by Burmese, and proceeded in a southerly direction until the morning of the 31st, in search of those Siamese pirates who for some time have made such destruction in this province, when I discovered six boats. I immediately made my boats form line, so as to prevent their ascertaining the number of ours, which, I am happy to say, had the desired effect, as they did not appear alarmed until we got near them. I then gave orders for Lieut. Bingham and Assist. Surg. Lindsell to proceed in two fast pulling boats, and I accompanied in a third; we very soon overtook and boarded four of them, two made their escape; those taken made but little resistance, I suppose in consequence of our rear boats coming up. They proved to be four Siamese war boats, well manned and armed; after securing them we proceeded to the island of Yeaqudam, in the Burmese territory, about ninety miles from Mergui, where we discovered twentysix more; they approached us for some time, but at length returned and landed 400 men, who took up a strong position on shore, and about 400 remained in their boats, all well armed, some boats having guns in their bows. I then hoisted a white flag and a small boat came with a man in it with a message from the chief, the Rajah of Sampore, who was at Mergui in February last, requesting I would come on shore, to which I replied that I wished him to come and see me; he said he would, provided I would separate from my boats, which I did, and waited for some time. He then sent some of his chiefs, who would scarcely approach sufficiently near to make themselves understood; however, I called to them to say, that I would not see any one but the Rajah. He then came, but instead of one boat, brought his whole flotilla, and attempted to get between me and my boats, but seeing his intention I prevented him. I then pulled up to his boat and asked him to come on board mine, which he refused; in short I used every means to persuade him, but to no effect. I then asked him by whose authority he had taken possession of this island, having built houses for himself and people, and how he could dare to molest the inhabitants of the province of Mergui, well knowing from a former interview, about two months ago, that they were under the British protection. His reply was, that he was sent by h's king, and that he did not care for us; I told him that my orders were to bring him to Mergui to see the Governor, and that I had no doubt but his boats would be returned to him on his arrival, when he explained matters; during the conversation I held his boat as he would not allow any one to come near him but myself. He then like lightning darted into his cabin, and a man who was by his side during the conversation made a cut at me, which fortunately I escaped, and several men presented their muskets, no doubt with a hostile intention. I therefore gave orders for our men to fire, and I can scarcely say which commenced: finding our musquetry heavy he pulled off, and, I regret to say, that in consequence of all our boats' crews deserting their oars for some time, we could not again come up with their flotilla. He must have suffered severely from our fire as we continued chasing for about an hour, when we got so far distant, and no hope of coming up with him, and thought it advisable to return to the island. The enemy's

* 2 Lieutenants, I assistant surgeon, 2 subidars, 1 jemidar, 95 rank and file.

3 U