10 Proceedings of the Asiatic Soci. ty. [ Jan. 
From E. ©. Bayley, Esq., C. 8. L., Secretary to the Government of 
India, Home Department, to the Officiating Secretary to the Govern- 
ment of Bengal, General Department,—(NVo. 3963, dated Simla, 
the 29th August, 1870.) 
Sir,—I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 
2018, dated the 11th ultimo, and the enclosed correspondence, 
showing the operations carried on by the Asiatic Society of Bengal 
in regard to the discovery and preservation of records of ancient 
Sanskrit literature. 
2. In reply I am directed to state that the efforts that have been 
made by the Asiatic Society to give effect to the wishes of the 
Government for the discovery and conservation of these Sanskrit 
manuscripts are satisfactory. I am, however, to point out that the 
catalogues received with your letter are incomplete in some points, 
which tend materially to lessen their value and usefulness, especi- 
ally to European scholars. 
3. Itis very desirable that the names of the persons to whom 
the manuscripts belong should be inserted in the notices, as should 
also the places in which they are deposited. This might still be 
done by adding a supplementary list of the manuscripts drawn up 
numerically, with the names of the owners and their addresses 
opposite. The number of pages in each manuscript, the number of 
lines in each page, and the peculiarities of the manuscripts, should 
also be given in the catalogues, as a means of identifying them 
hereafter. 
4, The list of persons and Societies to whom it is proposed to 
distribute the notices may be also considerably enlarged, and there 
are some inaccuracies in that list. A corrected copy of the latter 
is enclosed, (here follows a list of institutions, &e., &c.). 
From Dr. F. SroxtezKa, 
Hon. Secretary to the Asiatie Society of Bengal, 
Yo H. 8. Branon, Esea., 
Offg. Under-Secretary to the Government of Bengal. 
Srr,—I have the honor, by direction of the Council of the Asiatic 
Society of Bengal, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 
