х А SKETCII OF THE LIFE OF 
expected ; 168 folio pages. Since it was finished I have been busy in arranging my geographical 
papers." 
In the same letters he gives an indication of his zoological studies :— 
“I believe I have discovered а new genus of animals. It is very near the Limax but differs 
in several particulars. 16 is impossible to presorve the animal in spirits so as to show its limbs, 
but I have got very good dra wings," 
In the next letter of the collection, dated Puttahaut November 17th, 1796, he says :— 
“I should very willingly have described the new animal here, but Mr. Fleming when I offered 
it thought that it would not answer, and I am affraid Smith would not take it kind should I 
withdraw it from him.” 
He had joined the Asiatie Society at Caleutta on August 6th, 1796, and in his 
letters thore are several allusions to the fact, only one of which, given in a letter 
dated Pullahaut 11th April, 1797, need be here given; the interest of the extract lies 
particularly in the concluding sentence, which seems to indicate that Roxburgh’s Flora 
Indica, which was not published in its entirety till 1832, was already, in manuscript, 
at the disposal of his friends, Roxburgh, as previous letters of the series show, had 
arranged to visit Chittagong, passing by Luckipoor and being Buchanan’s guest on 
the way. The proposed excursion had to be abandoned, owing to the breakdown 
of Roxburgh’s health which necessitated his making a voyage to the Cape of Good 
Hope. 
“Two days ago I received yours and am sorry that you have given up your intention of com- 
ing this way, especially as it proceeds from so bad a cause. I am much obliged to you for undertaking 
to make up my engigements to the Sosiety; bo so obliging аз to let me know the amount and I 
shall procura an order on Calcutta as soon as possible. I am also greatly obliged to you for securing 
the number of your Flora Indica.” 
From a letter dated 10th May 1797 we learn that Roxburgh had endeavoured to 
obtain for Buchanan a place on an expedition then being orzanised to proceed to 
Manilla. Nothing eame of this, büt a subsequent recommendation of Roxburgh's that 
Васһалап should be posted to the ?4-Pergunnahs: во as to bring him within reach of 
the books to be had in the libraries of Caleutta, was successful, as was another recom- 
mendahion of Roxburgh's, submitted to the Board of Trade at Calcutta, that Bucha- 
nan’s services should be utilized in making an economic survey of Chittagong. During 
the тату season of 1797 Buchanan was still engaged in arranging his Burmese papers, 
for in a letter dated 19th July 1797 he says :— 
: I have now nearly finished my account of the Burmese religion and should be glad to show it 
to Sir J om Shore, whoss opinion relative to the publication of a part or cf the whole І should like 
to have, * * I do not think that it would answer for a separate publication, but although rather 
long it might do for the Asiatick Researches,” Е 
Не reverts to this subject in several 
on 3rd October 1797 he says :— 
“1 intend setting out for your house on the twentieth of October, м 
By the time I have come I hope Sir John and perhaps Mr. Fleming may have looked them over 
= we shall then be able to determine what ought to be done with them. If the contents are thought 
subsequent letters; in one received by Roxburgh 
LÀ * 
' This, and another Zoological Paper belonging to the same period, appeared іп Zrans, Linn, Soc, vol. v, 
