I 8 ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



The Hebrew collection received a valuable addition in a set of 144 MSS., purchased of 

 Mr. Sbapira, of Jerusalem, who states that he brought them from the town of Heet, the seat 

 of an ancient Karaite colony on the Euphrates. They belong almost exclusively to the 

 theological literature of that curious and yet very imperfectly-known Jewish sect. They 

 contain for the most part commentaries of Karaite divines on the Old Testament, written 

 in the Arabic language, partly in the Hebrew, and partly in the Arabic character. The 

 Arabic class includes portions of Scripture written in the original language, but in the 

 Arabic character, with a mixture of Hebrew and Arabic vowel-points, a system of writing 

 adopted in direct opposition to the Talmudic law, and no example of which was yet 

 known in Eurojje. 



Most of these MSS. belong to the 10th and 11th centuries, and are therefore of con- 

 siderable value for Arabic palagography. 



The collection comprises also Karaite service-books, controversial and grammatical 

 treatises, and lastly, a few Mohammedan works. Among the last is a medical treatise of 

 Ibn Abil-Ash'ath, transcribed from the author's autograph, a.h. 348 (a.d. 949). 



Of the remaining acquisitions of the year, the following are the most remai'kable : — 



A Hebrew Bible, handsomely written on vellum, and richly ornamented with gilt titles 

 and illuminated borders, dated Lisbon, a.d. 1483. Three vols., large 4to. 



A set of eight MSS., containing Persian texts in the Hebrew character, among which 

 are a Persian version of the Psalms, and a poem on Bible-history in Persian verse. 



A history of the prophets and of the sects of Islam, written in Arabic by an author 

 belonging to the Ibadi sect. Presented by Sir John Kirk. 



A collection of nineteen Armenian MSS., containing service-books, ecclesiastical 

 canons. Biblical commentaries, and moral treatises, with dates ranging from the 14th to 

 the 18th century. 



Mahaniddesagantho, a Buddhistic work in the Burmese character, and two copies of 

 the Kammavacha in square Pali. Presented by G. H. Macnamara, Esq. 



Letters of Chinese officials to Sir Edward Bourchier, relating to the Treaty of Nanking 

 in 1842. Presented by Lady Bourchier. 



Three palm-leaf MSS. in the Shan language, obtained by M. Cai'l Brook from a 

 monastery in the Laos country. 



Three hundred and eighty-two readers applied for Oriental MSS. in the course of the 

 yeai", and the number of MSS. consulted was 1,771. 



Ch. liieu. 



Department op Prikts and Drawings. 



The collection of drawings and woodcuts by Thomas Bewick, presented by his 

 daughter, has been arranged on screens in the King's Library, together with a selection 

 of watei'-colour drawings by English artists who flourished between 1750 and 1850; the 

 latter includes the magnificent series of works by Thomas Girtin, presented by the 

 late Mr. Chambers Hall in 1855. 



In order to afford space for this exhibition a portion of the Crace Collection of London 

 Topography has been withdrawn, and returned to the portfolios. 



Mr. Fisher's Catalogue of the Early Italian Prints, and the second volume of Dr. 

 Willshire's Catalogue of the Early German and Flemish Prints, are in the press. 



The collection of Early Italian Prints has been temporarily arranged in twenty-nine 

 solander cases, pending the issue of Mr. Fisher's catalogue. 



The water-colour drawings by David Cox, W. J. Miiller, J. M. W. Turner, T. Girtin, 

 " Canaletti," J. R. Cozens, and J. Henderson, sen., recently bequeathed by John Hender- 

 son, Esq., have been arranged in nine solander cases. 



Tlie draAvings by foreign artists mounted during the year have been incorporated with 

 their respective collections. 



The extensive collection of carbon photographs from drawings by the old masters in 

 foreign galleries has been classified according to schools, and arranged in one hundred 

 and eighty solander cases. An index to the collection has also been prepared. 



The collection of prints by M arc' Antonio Raimondi has been re-arranged, and an index 

 to it has been prepared. 



The collection of works by English engravers has been re-arranged in twenty-four 

 small and three large portfolios, all recent acquisitions being incorporated, and new names 

 entered in the index. 



The prints by Hans Lautensack and Augustin Hirschvogel have been arranged 

 according to Bartsch's " Peintre-Graveur," the references to which have been inscribed 

 on them. 



The proofs of plates to Pocket Books engraved by John Pye, presented by his daughter, 

 have been arranged for mounting, and one thousand three hundred and thirty-nine titles 

 have been prepared for a catalogue of them. 



One 



