36 Annual Report. [Feb. 



occurs in every copy collated, which I have noticed at pages 160 and 165 

 of my translation. 



' At this time also, I heard from His Excellency State Counsellor Von 

 Dorn, that the Imperial Public Library of St. Petersburg contained a copy 

 of the text, and the Imperial Academy of Sciences, two copies ; and, that, 

 without doubt, I could obtain them on loan. I applied to His Grace, the 

 Secretary of State for India for aid, which was graciously granted ; and, 

 through Lord Augustus Loftus, British Ambassador at the Russian Court, 

 the Imperial Russian Government, in its proverbially enlightened man- 

 ner, at once, most graciously, complied with my request ; and the three 

 MSS. were, without delay, placed at my disposal, the first for three and the 

 last for four months. 



' The Imperial Public Library MS., from all appearances, is, probahly, 

 even more ancient than the copy I have referred to in the third para, of this 

 communication, for it is written in the style Mullas generally write, 

 although correctly written. The dais are marked with a diacritical point, 

 and other letters are written in a peculiar manner denoting considerable 

 antiquity. If either copy has a claim to be considered an " autograph," 

 this is the one hest entitled to it ; hut I am sorry to say that it 

 wants great part of Section XVII, and all the succeeding Sections. One of 

 the Imperial Academy's copies is a modern one, comparatively, hut still 

 exceedingly useful ; but the other, only a little defective in one or two 

 places, and at the end of the last Section, is an exceedingly good one, and 

 is also of considerable antiquity. 



' Having heen so fortunate as to ohtain these MSS., I determined to 

 make the most of them, and also of Lord Crawfurd's MS., and laying aside 

 the translation for a time, I collated these four copies, word for word, with 

 the printed text [a specimen, after collation, 1 have sent to Mr. Grote to 

 look at] ; and with constant application, I completed that laborious task, 

 and returned the MSS. within a day of the prescribed time. 



' I found such difference to exist between the two best Petersburg copies, 

 and the others, that I deemed it my duty not to have the proofs struck off, 

 until I had made the corrections and emendations, which, as shown by them, 

 were absolutely necessary : hence the extra cost of corrections for the first 

 six sheets of the translation, which the Honorary Secretary has noticed in 

 his letter, N"o. 365 of November 8th, 1872. This extra cost, I regret ; but, 

 I hope I shall be considered justified in adopting the course mentioned. 



' As to the printed text I must say, with regret, hut conscientiously, 

 that it is almost useless : there is scarcely a correct page in the book. But, 

 when I consider that it was taken from two very incorrect copies of the 

 original, it is not to be wondered at, and it was impossible it could be other- 



