64 Address. [Feb. 



Pundit Hai-aprasad Shastri, the Librarian of tlie Bengal Library, 

 wLo has compiled this very interesting I'eport, considers that the literary 

 activity of the periodical press in Bengal runs in cycles of seven or eight 

 years and that the present is one of unwonted activity. 



Bombay. In the Bombay Presidency, 1,398 books and 526 periodi- 

 cals vrere i*egistered daring the year ; of these 693 are Gujarati ; 443 

 Marathi; 205 English; 174 Sanskrit. It is remarkable to notice that 

 in the Western Presidency, Poetry bears the palm, the number of works 

 devoted to Religion being comparatively small as compared with Bengal. 

 Language takes a high place as to number, but the works under this 

 head are chiefly school-books, and the same as regai'ds those under 

 Science. The English books do not require any particular comment. 



Of ordinary literature in Marathi there is not much to be said. In 

 Medicine, Mr. Vasudeo Cbintaman Bapat appears to be doing good work 

 by making known a great deal of valuable information regarding the 

 medicinal plants of India, their uses and properties. His latest work, 

 the Sushena Ghikitsd, is highly commended by Dr. Dymock. The 

 poetical works are mostly reprints of entire old Prakrit woi'ks, some of 

 them beautifully printed. In Science the works published are all school 

 books, either mathematical or small geographical tracts treating of parts 

 of the Bombay Presidency. 



The Grujarati publications seem to be on a higher standard and to 

 have more general interest than the Marathi. In Arts, I note treatises 

 on cotton-ginning and screw-cutting, and five works on music. Of dra- 

 matic works and novels many treat on social subjects, such as the evils 

 of infant marriages, and of marriages between persons of disproportion- 

 ate ages ; the desirability of widow marriages and of marriages of affec- 

 tion and mutual selection ; the tyranny of step-mothers and of mothers 

 in law ; the bad consequences of vice and happiness of virtue. The 

 historical works sing the praises of Rajput heroes and heroines in de- 

 fending their religion and land against the Muhammadan Emperors of 

 Delhi. Among translations of English works are Bon Quixote, Shakes- 

 peare's Cymbeline, and Valentine Vox. Irdvati is noted as the best 

 Gujarati novel of the year and is based on historical incidents. 



The historical works, other than school-books, include two histories 

 of the ancient Parsis. 



The miscellaneous publications include a translation of Self-Help 

 and an adaptation of an English work, Hoiv to make Money, also treatises 

 on mesmerism. In Philosophy, the tSuhodha Patrikd Bdjdyoga and the 

 Bhdvdrtha Prahasha are noted, and there ai'e two well written works of 

 Travels. 



The number of Urdu books shews a marked decrease, while those 

 in Hindi are nearly doiiblcd, but many are reprints and translations. 



