5t5 Address. [Feb. 



any theories. This want has now been supplied by Prof. Hillebrandt, 

 and it should be a great help in any future practical inquiries. Un- 

 fortunately it now turns out that the oldest sources, the Vedas, afford 

 very little definite information ; but they show that the Soma was not 

 the flower (hops) or fruit (grapes) of any plant, as some great authori- 

 ties have thought, but young light-coloured shoots of a plant growing 

 in mountainous places, whence they used to be brought down by traders 

 and sold to the priests for their sacrifices. For the latter purpose four 

 small and deep holes were dug in the ground, forming a small square; 

 over these two wooden boards were laid to serve as " sounding boards ;" 

 over the boards a red skin was spread, the hairy side uppercnost ; on 

 this skin the stones were laid with which the juice of the Soma shoots 

 was expressed by pounding. Sometimes a mortar and pestle were used 

 instead of the stones. The juice thus extracted was mixed with water in 

 a largo vessel, whence it was afterwards poured into smaller vessels and 

 mixed with milk or liquor. For libation and consumption cups were 

 used. In the second part of his work, Prof. Hillebrandt treats of the 

 mythological transformation of Soma and its cult. 



The Computation of Hindu Bates in Inscriptions, with General and 

 Special Tables. By Professor H. Jacobi. — The substance of this work 

 was originally published in the Indian Antiquary. It is now repub- 

 lished, enlarged and revised, as a part of the Epigraphia Indica. The 

 verification of Hindu dates is an intricate business. It is beset with 

 difficulties of two kinds : one is caused by the strictly astronomical basis 

 of the calendar; the other is due to the intricacy of the calendar system, 

 which is further enhanced by the variety of usages adopted in different 

 parts of India as regards some of the elements. Professor Jacobi's 

 work is a very successfnl attempt to reduce these difficulties to a mini- 

 mum, and to all students of the epigraphical records of India, so many 

 of which are dated, it is a most welcome contribution. 



The Badoefs, by Dr. Jul. Jacobs and J. J. Meijer. (In Dutch). — 

 This book gives an interesting account of a small and very little known 

 community of people living in the wilds of the western part of Java, 

 — the " Badoej's," as Dr. Jacobs spells their name. They are of parti- 

 cular interest to India, as representing probably a survival of Indian 

 Buddhism. Owing to the strict seclusion in which they maintain them- 

 selves, very little has hitherto been known about them. Dr. Jacobs, 

 as Sanitary Officer of the Dutch East Indian Legion, had special facilities 

 of intercourse with them ; and his book gives us the first trustworthy in- 

 formal ion on the religion, manners and customs of this interesting little 

 people. The Badoejs are said to have retired into the wilds of Western 

 Java on the conquest of their country by the Muhammadaue under 



