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was suggested, that they might be advantageously em- 

 ployed in investigating' the languages and literature of 

 fndia. Mr. Dundas entered eagerly into this plan ; 

 but the only appointment at his disposal was that of 

 surgeon assistant, which could be held only by a per- 

 son who had received a surgical diploma, and could 

 pass an examination before the medical board at the In- 

 dia Mouse. Leyden eagerly accepted of the appoint- 

 ment, with the understanding, that he was to be em- 

 ployed only in literary researches when he arrived in 

 India ; and he actually succeeded in qualifying himself 

 for it in the space of five or six months. He received 

 a diploma from the College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, 

 and obtained a degree of M. D. from the university of 

 St. Andrew's. About the middle of December 1802, 

 he left Edinburgh, to join the fleet which was on the 

 eve of sailing for India. On his journey to London he 

 was seized with the cramp in his stomach, in conse- 

 quence of his excessive exertions in Scotland ; and when 

 he arrived at the India House under the influence of 

 this disorder, he was told that he must either proceed 

 to the Downs, or vacate his appointment. The clerks 

 made out his appointment, and orders to sail in the 

 Hindustan, as if he had been in perfect health ; and 

 had it not been for the kind interference of Mr. 

 George Ellis, the author of the Specimens of Ancient 

 English Poetry, he would have been drowned in the 

 Hindostan, which was actually wrecked in going down 

 the river. By Mr. Ellis's influence, he got permission 

 to go in the Hugh Inglis to Madras, a circumstance 

 which allowed him to reside in London till the begin- 

 ning of April 1 803. The Hugh Inglis set sail on the 

 beginning of April, and after a voyage distinguished 

 principally by a mutiny in the vessel, in which Leyden 

 evinced great intrepidity, he arrived at Madras, where 

 he was nominated surgeon to the commissioners ap- 

 pointed to survey the ceded districts ; and was at the 

 same time directed to carry on inquiries concerning the 

 natural history of the country, and the manners and 

 languages of the natives of Mysore. His health, how- 

 ever, was unable to resist the effects of the climate, 

 and his unwearied exertions to acquire the languages of 

 the Mysore; and, as appears from his " Address to an 

 Indian gold coin," his health and his spirits were se 

 much injured, that he was obliged to leave the presi- 

 dency of Madras, and repair to Prince of Wales's Island, 

 Previous to his leaving Madras, he succeeded in trans- 

 lating the famous Jewish tablets of brass, preserved in 

 the synagogue of Cochin, and which had puzzled all 

 preceding orientalists. He had studied the Arabic, 

 Persic, Hindostani, Mahratta, Tamul, Telinga, Canara, 

 Sanscrit, Malayalam, Malay, and Armenian languages ; 

 aud he had decyphered the inscriptions of Mavalipoo- 

 rani, written in an ancient Canara character, and also 

 several Lada Li/jpi inscriptions, which is an ancient 

 Tamal dialect and character. 



During his voyage from Travancore to Pulo-Penang, 

 or Prince of Wales's Island, which was performed in a 

 Mapilla brig, it was chased by a French privateer, which 

 led Dr. Leyden to compose an Ode to a Malay Cris, or 

 dagger, the only weapon which the state of his health 

 permitted him to use. In this island Dr. Leyden found 

 many friends, and enjoyed the confidence of Philip 

 Dundas, Esq. who was governor of the island. During 

 his residence in thai place, he visited Achi and some 

 other places on I he coast of Sumatra, and the Malayan 

 peninsula ; and he collected the curious information re- 

 specting the language, literature, and descent of the 

 hintBtf tribes, which is given in the valuable dis 

 3 



sertation on that subject, which he laid before the Asi- Lfbau.. 

 atic Society. , l *"^v**s 



In 1806, he left Pulo-Penang, and arrived at Calcut- 

 ta, where he was warmly patronised by Lord Minto, 

 who was peculiarly qualified to appreciate the talents 

 of his distinguished countryman. Dr. Leyden was at 

 first appointed a professor in the college of Bengal ; 

 but that appointment was soon afterwards exchanged 

 for that of a judge of the twenty-four pergunnahs of 

 Calcutta, an office from which he received a very consi- 

 derable yearly income. Excepting the part of that in- 

 come, which was remitted to Europe for the best of 

 purposes, the rest was spent in promoting the objects 

 with which his whole mind was occupied. 



In 1811, Dr. Leyden accompanied Lord Minto in 

 the expedition to Java, with the view not only of inves- 

 tigating the manners, language, and literature of the 

 various tribes of that island ; but also for the purpose 

 of assisting in settling the government of the country, 

 or in communicating with the independent princes in 

 the neighbourhood of the Dutch settlements. When 

 they reached the island, he had the rashness, along with 

 another volunteer who accompanied the expedition, to 

 throw himself into the surf, in order to be the first Bri. 

 ton in the expedition who should set foot on Java. Af- 

 ter the town of Batavia surrendered to our troops, Dr. 

 Leyden exhibited the same ridiculous want of regard 

 to his health, in his hurry to examine a library in that 

 city, where many valuable Indian MSS. were said to 

 be deposited. He accordingly went into an apartment 

 supposed to have been ill ventilated, and when he left 

 it he was seized with a fit of shivering, which led him 

 to remark, that the atmosphere was enough to give any 

 mortal a fever. His illness increased, and in three days 

 he was carried off in 18)1, in the 36th year of his age, 

 and on the very day when the island of Java surrender- 

 ed to the British arms. 



The literary remains of Dr. Leyden, were committed 

 by his last will to the charge of Mr. Heber, and Dr. 

 Hare of Calcutta , but they have not yet been given to the 

 public. For the preceding particulars of 'Dr. Ley den's 

 life, we have been indebted to a very interesting bio- 

 graphical memoir of him, which appeared in the Edin- 

 burgh Annual Register for 18 1 1, and which seems to have 

 been written by his distinguished friend Mr. Scott. 



LIBAU, or LIEBAU, is a sea-port-town of the duchy 

 of Courland, situated on the Baltic, and built by the 

 Lettonians. It is a large, open, and indifferently built 

 trading town, consisting chiefly of wooden houses. Its 

 harbour, which was cleared in 1737 by Ernest John, is 

 now very commodious for light vessels. The harbour 

 never freezes up in winter, but it has only from 10 to 

 1 1 feet of water, depending on the wind, so that large 

 vessels must discharge in the roads, which is obtained 

 at considerable expence, and some risk.' The principal 

 exports and imports are, 



Exports. 



Wheat. 



Rye. 



Barley. 



Pease. 



Crushing linseed. 



Hempseed. 



Oats. 



Bristles. 



Goose feathers. 



Flax. 



Hemp. 



Imports. 



Fustic logwood. 

 Coffee. 

 Cotton, 

 Ginger. 

 Pepper. 

 Pimento. 

 Rice. 



Sugar of all kinds 

 Molasses. 

 Salt. 

 Herrings. 



