APPENDIX. Ij 



from the intercourse which she Iveeps up with the wlioie of Tartary and with the 

 northern provinces of China, from the Asiatic descent of a considerable portion 

 of her subjects, from the various Oriental languages which are spoken by tliem, 

 and from the different modifications of the Buddha and Mahommedan religions which 

 influence their moral and religious opinions, has not only an interest in all literary 

 researches which relate to the northern and eastern parts of Asia, but is enabled, from 

 . her local situation and the nature of her government, to carry them on at less expense 

 and witii more success, than any other nation in Europe. Catharine II., while in the 

 plentitude of her power, from a desire to promote, by her influence, every object of 

 science and literature, and to ascertain upon a more extensive plan than was ever 

 attempted before, the analogies and affinities of all the languages of the world, pro- 

 cured, through the late Professor Pallas, in answer to instructions drawn up by her- 

 self, under the advice of the ablest and most profound philosophers and philologists of 

 the age, very minute and authentic information relative to the different langua<i-es, 

 dialects, and idioms, which were either spoken or known in any part of her immense 

 dominions. The only portion of this information which is still incomplete, is that 

 which relates to the numerous languages which prevail in those divisions of Asia 

 which are at present either under the government or the influence of Great 

 Britain. 



The Royal Asiatic Society, through the civil and military servants of the East-India 

 Company,and the Christian missionaries who are established in every part of India, and 

 who have acquired a knowledge of the various languages which are spoken through- 

 out the British territories, possess at this moment a facility which no other society 

 enjoys, for completing, in as far as it relates to the south of Asia, the grand and 

 enligliteiied plan which was originally commenced and carried into effect by Catharine 

 II., in as far as it relates to the north and east of Asia. The Committee of Correspon- 

 dence have therefore opened a communication upon this subject, through Prince 

 Lieven, with the present Emperor of Russia, and are happy to report, that his Im- 

 perial Majesty has, through the Prince, as appears by the Prince's letters to Sir Alex. 

 Johnston, not only agreed to assist the Society in the attainment of its objects gene- 

 rally, but has also been graciously pleased to present to it copies of all the works 

 relative to the different languages of Russia, which were compiled under the orders 

 of Catharine II., and were printed by her Imperial Majesty for private circulation. 



Germany has of late years evinced the greatest zeal in procuring information from 

 every quarter of the globe, relative to the history, the literature, and the sciences of 

 Asia. Austria has an Oriental academy at Vienna, and may be of considerable use to 

 Oriental researches, by means of the Oriental manuscripts which she possesses in 

 the libraries of Vienna, Milan, and Venice, and by the patronage which she may 

 afford to a continuation of Von Hammer's celebrated work, the " Fundgruben des 

 Orients." Prussia has shewn herself a friend to Oriental literature, by the encou- 

 ragement which she has given to Professors Boi)p and Rosen ; by the liberality with 



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