1872.] Col. Allan on Father Tiefentaller. 61 



regarding the literature, customs and religion of the Hindus, as also on the 

 topography, and natural history of this country. The celebrated M. An- 

 quetil Du Perron, when at Surat in 1759, wrote to Father Tieffentaller, 

 requesting information about the Mughul Court, and the antiquities of India. 

 He received this communication while at Narwar, and at once replied that 

 he would be happy to afford him all the information in his power on these 

 subjects, asking in return for any scientific works that could be spared, and 

 especially the correct longitude of Surat, as he was occupied m a work on the 

 Geography of India, with the latitudes of various places. In 1776, M. 

 Anquetil Du Perron received from F. Tieffentaller, with a letter dated from 

 Agrah, three charts or maps of which that learned French orientalist gave a 

 detailed account in the Journal des Savants, for the month of December, 

 in that year. In the same letter he informed him that he had sent the fol- 

 lowing works to a medical Professor in the University of Copenhagen — 



1. ' Description Geographique de I'lndostan.' 



2. ' De la Eeligion Brahminique.' 



3. ' Astronomie et Astrologie Indiennes, et systeme du monde selon les 

 Gymnosophistes.' 



4. ' Des Idoles des Indiens, et de leur forme, et des plus celebres peleri- 

 nages de 1' Inde.' 



5. ' Histoire naturelle de I'lndostan, contenant la description des 

 animaux, des oiseaux, et des plantes, avec des figures enluminees,' 



John Bernouilli of Basel in Switzerland (the well known savant, astro- 

 nomer and member of the French Academy, who died in 1807 at Berlin), sub- 

 sequently ascertained that these precious MSS. were in the prossession of M. 

 Kratzenstein, a Professsor in Copenhagen, and succeeded in obtaining from him 

 in October, 1871, the geographical portion of Father Tieffentaller's works, 

 which he translated into French and German from the Latin in which it was 

 written and published, in 1786, at Berlin in 3 volumes 4to., of which there is 

 a copy in our Library, (No. 2214), as also in the Calcutta Public Library ; 

 to which I will, therefore, refer those desirous of perusing the work itself. 



This work is curious and interesting, being illustrated by numerous 

 copper plates of the principal places described by this Jesuit Missionary, 

 from sketches done by himself, which evince considerable artistic merit. 

 Amongst these is a bird's eye " Elahbas," as Allahahad is styled, and in 

 which, singular to say, the famous AsoJca Pillar, is represented as standing 

 close to the gate of the Fort there, where it long lay on the ground, and was 

 only set up again, about forty years ago. It is, therefore, clear that this sin- 

 gular obelisk, which has thrown such a flood of light in the ancient history 

 of India, through Prinsep's interpretation of the inscription engraved in its 

 sides, must have either fallen or been thrown down, after Allahabad came 

 into the possession of the British — though of that event or accident, no re- 



