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from them several years ago, but which he discontinued on undertaking the publication of his "Travels in various Countries of the East." These passages I have gladly incorporated with my own part of the translation, availing myself, at the same time, of a few hints for short notes, which he obligingly added to his communication; and I shall here transcribe an extract from his answer to my Letter requesting some literary and biographical anecdotes of Sadik Isfahani, and an account of the two works which, at Sir William's suggestion, I had undertaken to translate:

"Of the two Persian Manuscripts which I have much pleasure in consigning to you, each is a complete and distinct composition,

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See the Catalogue of several hundred Manuscript Works in various Oriental Languages, collected by Sir William Ouseley, LL.D., &c." In this Catalogue (which was printed last year, 1831, and intended for private circulation,) the Geographical Tracts of Sadik Isfahani are noticed (p. 11) under the titles of "Tahkik al Iráb," (two copies, No. 380, in quarto, and No. 381, in folio,) and "Takwim al Buldan," No. 383, a folio MS.

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although, as both treat on the same subject, they are bound together in one volume. The first work, entitled Tahkík al Iráb,' () gives, in alphabetical order, the names of countries, cities, rivers, and other objects geographically interesting, with short descriptions. The second MS. is entitled 'Takwím al Buldán,' () and likewise exhibits, in alphabetical order, the names of various places, with descriptions, (shorter than those given in the former work,) also the degrees of longitude and latitude. From what points these are computed the author does not state; but it is evident that he follows those eastern geographers who, like Nasir ad'dín Túsi, Hamdallah Kazvíni, and Ulugh Beig, calculate

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-from the For از جزایر (خالدات) their longitude

tunate Islands,' and their latitude (1) 'from the Equinoctial Line.'

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Respecting Sadik Isfahani (as our ingenious author is commonly styled) I have been able to obtain but little information. His principal work, the Subhh Sádik,' (jole e a General History of Asia,) occupies

صبح صادق)

four large folio volumes: one of these, comprising the ancient part, is in my Collection. He composed also on different subjects, chiefly historical, many tracts, (some of which I possess,) constituting a Miscellany denominated Shahid Sádik' (lol): to this belonged the two tracts now in your hands, and I believe that it did not contain any other work on the subject of geography.

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"In one of his historical compositions he is entitled at full length Mirzá Muhammed Sádik ben Mirzá Muhammed Saleh Zobeiri Isfahani, Azadáni.* A note made above thirty years ago by an accomplished friend, who brought those historical manuscripts to Europe, states that Súdik Isfahani had visited many parts of India, where he died about one hundred and fifty years before; t

ميرزا محمد صادق بن میرزا محمد صالح زبيري اصفهاني

We may reasonably suppose that Muhammed Saleh derived the surname Azadáni from the village of Azadán, which Súdik describes as a place belonging to Isfahan. (See the "Tahkik al Iráb," p. 2.)

I have lately found a date which proves that Sadik Isfahani was employed on his great work, the "Subhh

and various passages scattered throughout his Geographical Tracts show that he was much better acquainted with that country than most Persian writers.

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"He has not quoted any authority for the geographical positions in his second work, the Takwim al Buldán;' but that he consulted the Tables composed by Nasir ad'dín Túsi, Abu' l' Fedá, and Ulugh Beig, and the admirable Nuzahat al Kulúb of Hamdallah Kazvini, we can scarcely doubt, although it will be found on examination that he differs from them in numerous instances respecting either the longitude of certain places or the latitude, or sometimes both. He has supplied a multiplicity of names omitted by them, and to many which they give he has added short descriptions of his Tables also, the order, being alphabetical, seems to me a far more convenient mode of arrangement than that which was adopted by the older

Sádik" above mentioned, in the year 1045 of the Muhammedan era, or of Christ 1635. This date occurs in his account of Noah's Deluge.

geographers above mentioned, whose system causes some difficulty in finding the name of any particular place without a previous knowledge of the climate, kingdom, or province to which it belongs.

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"The Tables of Abú' l' Fedá, Ulugh Beig, and Nasir ad'din Túsi, were printed (with Latin translations) above an hundred years ago, at Oxford, in Hudson's Collection of Minor Geographers.'* As this valuable and useful work (which has latterly become extremely scarce) does not appear in the list of your books, I send the third volume containing those Tables, so that you may form a just opinion respecting the comparative merits of Sadik Isfahani and his prede

cessors.

"In my translation from some articles of the 'Tahkik al Iráb' you will perceive that I have not inserted the , a minute, and prolix enumeration of all the letters which com

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"Geographiæ Veteris Scriptores Græci Minores: accedunt Geographica Arabica," &c. Oxoniæ, 1697-1722, &c. Four volumes, octavo.

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