1872.] Huins at Bandras. — Chand's Epic. 57 



them, and crave that I may be favom^ed with any future pubhcations of a 

 similar kind. 



' The Grovernment of Ceylon has very prudently pursued the steps of that 

 of India in using measures for the preservation of the library records of 

 this island, and an oriental library has already been established at Colombo, 

 the chief town, and copies of all the valuable manuscript Pali and Sanskrit 

 works are now being made, under the auspices of local Committees (of which 

 I am a member at Galle), established at the principal towns in the island. 

 The work is now being carried out, and I am sanguine that it would prove 

 in the end to be one of the most useful undertakings that has ever been 

 inaugurated by our benign Government. 



' I have posted along with this letter a pamphlet edited by a native 

 gentleman, being a review of Max Miiller's Dharmapada, and trust that a 

 perusal of it will prove useful to you. 



' I have not been able to procure yet a copy of the " Descriptive Cata- 

 logue of Books in Ceylon," published a short time ago, and a copy of which 

 I promised you. A copy will be sent to you as soon as I get one. 



' I shall thank you to write to me of any literary works that you may be 

 in need of from this quarter, as it will have my best attention, &c." 



The President exhibited a beautiful Manuscript of the Mahabharat, which 

 had been sent for that purpose by Messrs. Grisborne and Co., Calcutta. 



The following papers were read — 

 1. — Notes on tlie age of the ruins cliiejiy situated at Bandras and Jaunpur, — > 

 hy C. HoENE, Esq., late B. C. S. 

 , This paper, like several others contributed by Mr. Home to the Socie- 

 ty's Journal, treats of the antiquities of Jaunpur and Banaras, and discusses 

 the use which Muhammadan builders have made of the materials of 

 old Hindu and Buddhistic temples. The paper is accompanied by a photo- 

 graph of a portion of the Jaunpur mosque, and a list of Gupta words. 



2. — Translations of selected portions of Chand's JEpic, Booh I, — ■ 

 ly J. Beames, Esq., C. S., Balasore. 



Mr. Beames has translated several passages from the first book of Chand's 

 Epic, of which he lately sent to the Society the text of the first 1200 lines 

 with the words properly divided. The restoration of the text and the trans- 

 lation of even single portions are matters of the greatest difficulty. The 

 Pandits of Eajpdtana even do not understand Chand beyond the general drift 

 of the poem. The translations are made by Mr. Beames from Tod's MS. of 

 Chand in his possession, which in his opinion is by far the best, having been 

 very carefully prepared for him by a Pandit in the service of the Rand of 



