480 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



been enabled to select a few max- 

 ims analogous to European legisla- 

 tion, or worthy of being adopted. 

 The following are the most rational. 



" The plaintiff they call Badee, 

 and the defendant Pirthadee. When 

 acomplaint is preferred to thejudge, 

 if the defendant is a debilitated old 

 man, or is under the age of twelve 

 years, or is an idiot, or insane, or 

 sick, or is employed on the business 

 of the state, or is a woman without 

 relations, such persons cannot be 

 summoned before a court of justice: 

 the judge shall commission intelli- 

 gent persons to interrogate upon the 

 case. But those who do not come 

 under any of the above descrip- 

 tions, are obliged to attend." 



Article Debt. Upon adventures 

 by land, lOZ. per cent is allowable; 

 and 25/. -per cent for risks by sea. 



In agreements for grain, (rice, or 

 say corn) if the time of payment 

 should be considerably elapsed, the 

 judge shall allow for interest five 

 times the value of the principal ; 

 such attention is paid to the sellerof 

 the first necessary of life to encou- 

 rage him to give credit, and to sup- 

 ply voluntarily sufficient quantities. 



Deposit of money, (banking or 

 loans). " If a person has employed 

 a deposit illegally, and, when it is 

 demanded, demurs paying back the 

 money, he shall be fined half the 

 principal sum in addition, for inte- 

 rest." 



Partnership ; the regulations un- 

 der this head are perfectly equita- 

 ble, and accord with our commer- 

 cial laws. One brief instance will 

 suffice. " If a partner loses or in- 

 jures the property of the partner- 

 ship, or it has been employed or 

 carried away without the consent of 

 the other partners, he shall make 

 restitution." 



Wages, hire, or rent. " If they 

 are received in advance, the agree- 

 ment must be fulfilled. If it is 

 broken, the offender shall be fined 

 in double the sum. 



Public revenue. " If any one 

 fails in the payment of his revenue 

 (duties or taxes), his prof)erty shall 

 be seized, and he shall be ba- 

 nished." 



Man and wife. " If, immedi- 

 ately after marriage, a man disco- 

 vers any natural defect in his wife, 

 he may part with her without be- 

 ing subject to any prosecution." 



The law of inheritance differs 

 from ours in the article of primoge- 

 niture — "all the children, together 

 with the widow, inherit equally ;" 

 and in the following singular ai'ticle 

 — " In default of all relations, the 

 estate shall go to the deceased's tu- 

 tor, or, if he is not alive, then to his 

 school-fellows." 



Gaming. "Whosoever plays with 

 false dice shall be banished. If any 

 one refuses to pay his game, it shall 

 be forced from him. The judge is 

 entitled to a tenth part of whatever 

 is gained at play." 



Our author next proceeds to de- 

 scribe the customs and manners of 

 the Hindoos, and their religious ce- 

 remonies — subjects which afford a 

 considerable fund of entertainment, 

 and some important information to 

 those who wish to be well acquain- 

 ted with man in all the differ- 

 ent lights and shades in which he 

 is delineated in all parts of the ha- 

 bitable globe. 



The index to the two volumes, 

 referring to, and explaining Arabic, 

 Persian, Hindovee, and Sanscrit 

 words, though copious, is defec- 

 tive, for we have in vain sought for 

 the explanation of several words, 

 essentially necessary to enable the 



