1890,] Aildress. 65 



The works iu Marvari, in poet-iy or prose, nearly all appertain to the 

 Jain religion. The Kanarese publications are unimportant. Of four 

 works in the Braj dialect, three are versions of the Biimiijana of Talsi 

 Das. A large number of Sanskrit works were registered, chiefly reprints. 



Mr. Vyankatrao Ramchandra continues to pi'oduce his series of 

 Marathi translations of the Gomnientaries on the Upanishad, with the 

 original Sanskrit text and commentaries. The other bilingual publica- 

 tions are chiefly of a religious and controversial tendency. 



Among the Marathi periodicals the Shilpa Kdld Vidnyd gives use- 

 ful information on mechanical and other arts and industries. The Nare 

 Elani is a literary and scientific periodical. The Strihodha is contributed 

 to by Parsi ladies and contains tales and general information. Two 

 periodicals are published iu Sanskrit containing unpublished poems by 

 old Sanskrit poets— the Kdvya Mdld and the Oranth Uatna Mdld. 



Mi\ G. M. Sathe, tlie Registrar of native publications, who has 

 drawn up the report, concludes with some very pertinent and valuable 

 general remarks in which he gives the reasons for the paucity of books 

 under the heads of Arts, Biograpliy, History, Politbcs and Science, which, 

 I regret, space does not allow me to quote. With regard to works on 

 Arts, the work- men are illiterate and as most of their callings are 

 hereditary, they learn from their fathers and families, and do not re- 

 quire to read or write books for instruction. With regard to Science 

 the best books are in English, and as there is an abundance of such 

 books and instruction is imparted in that language, students make them- 

 selves acquainted with it and do not read or write books in the verna- 

 cular, so that there is practically no demand for such works. 



Mr. Sath^ does not consider that vernacular litei^ature is making 

 satisfactory progress. 



Madras. — -In the Madras Presidency, the number of works regis- 

 tered was 1,169, of which 258 were in English or European languages, 

 735 in local vernaculars, 74 in classical Indian languages and 102 in 

 more than one language. Increased activity in original writing is in- 

 dicated, and Sanskiit and other classical languages are I'egaining their 

 former ascendancy. Mr. R. V. Krishnama Chariar, the Registrar of 

 books, explains the want of vernacular works on native arts on much 

 the same grounds as the Bombay reporter, but seems to think that prac- 

 tical books on art will be created as soon as industrial or technical educa- 

 tion, suited to the skill and talents of the country, shows the way. 



In Arts, treatises are noted on fireworks ; on native music and the 

 symbolic movements of the hands and fingers in dancing ; cookery ; 

 needlework, and examination of precious stones. 



The dramatic publications include a Marathi vei'siuu uf Shakes- 



