1871. ] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 13 
_ (5.) “It should also mention whether the book is available or 
not to European scholars. The catalogues of the Bodleian, India 
Office and Berlin Libraries would shew this. 
Sd. J. Cyatmers.” 
Minute of Babu Rijendraldla Mitra on the above [in a letter addressed 
to the Secretary }. 
Mr. Chalmers’ criticisms are founded on the same imaginary 
shortcomings on which the Government of India commented on 
my unfortunate “Notices ;’ I have therefore only to refer to 
the reply lately forwarded to the Government of Bengal on the 
subject. 
The 1st para. of the critique contains a general observation, the 
value of which depends on what follows. I need not therefore no- 
tice it. 
The 2nd para. accuses me of having (1) carefully avoided all 
mention of where the MSS. commented upon are to be found; (2) 
whom they belong to; (3) what is their value; (4) and whether 
Government should endeavour to purchase them or not. The first 
three charges are, as you are aware, entirely unfounded—due either 
to the critic’s not knowing the Sanskrit language, or to his having 
failed to qualify himself for the task he has assumed, by read- 
ing the Sanskrit portion of the Notices which would have at 
once shown him that the required information has been duly 
furnished. The last charge cannot be fairly brought against me. 
I am required by Government to print lists, and nothing but 
lists, in order that Sanskrit scholars in Europe and India may 
point out what MSS. should be purchased. The words of the 
Government letter are: ‘“‘To print uniformly all procurable un- 
printed lists of Sanskrit manuscripts in Indian Libraries, and to send 
them to the various learned Societies of Europe, and to individual 
scholars in Europeand India, with an intimation thatthe Government 
will carefully attend to their suggestions as to which of the manu- 
scripts therein mentioned should be examined, or transcribed.” I 
have quoted this part of the letter in my Preface, and as Mr. Chal- 
mers has read it, he should have suggested what MSS. are worth 
having, and not found fault with me for not doing what he as a 
