ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



terms : " Gentlemen, — Although the publishing of the ensuing Pamphlet (or Catalogue) 

 may at the first view seem to several persons a ridiculous and preposterous attempt, yet 

 the author of this poor collection humbly hopes that it will not be exploded or rejected 

 by you, for whose ease and conveniency (together with your forein correspondents) he 

 principally intended it." 



(5.) A collection of books in tlie Eha;to-Romansch, or language of the Grisous of 

 Switzerland. This language is divided into two principal dialects ; the Ladin, spoken in 

 the Engadine or Valley of the Inn, and the Romansch, properly so called, spoken in the 

 Valley of the Khiue, the Oberland. Of the former, viz., the L/adin, the Museum acquired 

 a collection in 1866, and the present purchase of books in the dialect of the Oberland, 

 places the Library in possession of the most complete collection existing of publications ia 

 this singular Romance language. The works range from the middle of the 16th century 

 to the present time. 



(6.) A large number of rare English Books, and also of specimens of Typography of 

 the 15th century, have been purchased at the sale of the Libraries of tJie Rev. Thomas 

 Corser, the late Mr. J. B. Inglis, and others. 



W. B. Hye. 



Department of Maps, Charts, Plans, and Topographical Drawings. 



I. Cataloguhig and Arrangement : — [a.) The number of Titles (including both main 

 titles and cross-references), written for the Catalogue of Maps and Charts during the 

 year, amounts to 5,411 ; those transcribed fourfold for insertion to 5,915. 



(i.) Press-marks have been applied to 1,325 maps and 3,994 titles. The number of 

 small hand-slips written for press-marks is 1,325, and boards havinp; to be inserted in 

 the general series to represent rolls or volumes placed elsewhere, 34 such have been 

 made during the twelvemonth ; 1,867 hand-slips of purchases have been made. 



(c.) 1,243 Maps, in 1,964 sheets, have been entered for the binder, and 50 volumes, and 

 1,115 Maps have been returned from the binder, the former bound, and the latter mounted 

 on 3,244 cards; and 142 sheets of Ordnance Surveys, mounted on jaconet • 22 volumes 

 have received separate letterings. 



((f.) An incorporation has been made into 3 copies of the Catalogue of 10,064 Titles, 

 necessitating the removal in each copy of 10,767 titles, and the addition to each copy of 

 559 new leaves : 10,684 slips of fourth copy have been mounted for the Hand 

 Catalogue. 



(e.) The number of Atlases returned to their shelves from the Reading Room was 

 497, the number of Maps 2,861, making a sum total of 3,358. 



(/".) The number of Stamps affixed to maps was 17,527. 



II. Additions : — (a.) The number of Maps which have been received by the Copyright 

 Act is 209 (in 777 sheets), and 22 Atlases and 1 part of an Atlas have also been received 

 by Copyright. 207 Volumes and 1,270 Maps, in 5,750 sheets, have been obtained by 

 purchase, and 230 Maps, in 393 sheets, have been presented. 



Among the most interesting acquisitions of the year are 187 Photographs of the 

 theatre of the late War between France and Germany ; 89 Photographs of the ruins of 

 Strasburg, Metz, Sedan, Bazeilles, Mezieres, Nancy, Fort Valerien, Fort Issy, Versailles, 

 and St. Cloud, &c ; 45 Photographs of the Tyrol ; and 40 Photographs, illustrative of 

 Gerhard Rohlf 's journey from Tangier to Tripoli. 



Among the Maps received from the India Office may be specialized one of Eastern 

 Turkistan, in four sheets, by Colonel Walker, Superintendentof the Trigonometrical 

 Survey, which is very valuable as marking a great step in the cartography of that region. 

 It greatly enlarges the width of the little known mountain country between the Upper 

 Oxus Valley and the Basin of Eastern Turkistan, so that it is now much easier to account 

 for the great number of days assigned by Marco Polo, Benedict Goes and all the Oriental 

 itineraries to the passage between Eastern and Western Turkistan. 



R. H. Major. 



-164. B Department 



