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XII. Some Notices concerning the Plants of various Parts of India, 

 and concerning the Sanscrita Names of those Regions. By 

 FRANCIS HAMILTON, M. D. F. R. S. & F. A. S. Lond. & 

 Edin. 



(Read June 18 1821.; 



xVs it is my intention soon to publish, in various works on Na- 

 tural History, the observations on the Botany of India which I 

 made during my residence there, I wish to place on record an 

 account of the opportunities which I enjoyed of making such 

 observations, with the view of explaining to the Botanist where 

 he may find the various collections which I made in different 

 parts. I also wish to explain the geographical terms that I shall 

 employ, in giving an account of the places where I found each 

 species. For this purpose I prefer using the ancient Sanscrita 

 names *, both as being more scientific, and as being more likely to 

 remain permanent ; for, after a lapse of many ages, they continue 

 to be known to ah 1 Hindus of learning, while each new invasion 

 or revolution sinks into immediate oblivion the mushroom appel- 

 lations imposed by modern rulers, whether Muhammedans or 

 Christians. 



Immediately after my appointment to the Company's Service 

 on the Bengal Establishment, I was sent with Captain SYMES to 

 the Court of Ava, and, during the year 1795, I had an opportu- 

 nity of seeing somewhat of the Andaman Islands, with a good 

 deal of the kingdoms of Pegu and Ava. The plants of the An- 

 daman Islands are nearly similar to those of Chatigang, of which 



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* A Map of India, according to the ancient divisions used in the Sanscrita 

 language, is given in Plate VI. 



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