Derbend-nämeh or the History of Derbend. 419 
guage, so that we may suppose thèm borrowed from a Pérsian original. At the same time, 
inthe course of some few lines 6f our version, we meet with the following words and 
erpréssions ; :whiéh'we'read' almost word for ‘word in the Pér sian versions and none of which 
are” to be found in the Turkish MS. of St. Pétersburg: ile; cl; cs, Joss 
po ge ee; Sn 4 alle (=: el) ; 2L,Y re L) : 5 lue : NE 
Lys LS)! &c. = Besides these; the phrase in our Turkish version os JLi, 
ME LoJSS all Sie dis an irregular translation of the Persian text: LU 
Jél n Er a 5 J Se af JL. Further, we read in our version » di (Un Jise 
# als OY,) C5 999 ls Jobs Oo, which is also a bad translation of the text of 
the Persian version, 559 L UAkcs ais Use ULbse, —. Had.I been able to con- 
sult any of the Persian, versions of the Derbend-nâmeh, or. any passages. from, it, more 
than what, L am fayoured. with by, my.friend Mr. Gottwaldt 1 shouldcertainly have 
been enabled. to discover stronger proofs in corroboration of my. opinion. 
——— D ES——— 
$ 4. 
Reasons for seleeting suis particular version of the Derbend-nâmeh. 
. With, pa to my, choice “ the present version, it owes, its origin to the follow- 
ing circumstances. — {. As L.have ; above observed, it was the first MS. of this work 
that ] was able, in 1839,, to procure. My intention was at first to translate it into Eng- 
lish and prepare it, with some few. notes in addition, for the journal of.tlie Royal 
Asiatie Society, of Great Britain and. Ireland. But after having finished the translation and 
some notes annexed, to it, 1, was informed by. my friends in. St. Petersburg :of the possi- 
bility of obtaining correct copies of the MSS. of this work preserved in the Imperial 
Public. Library; and as, by. the laws of that institution, no MS. maybe taken out of it, 
unless by the especial. order of His Imperial Majesty, a great length of time was required 
for. the, transcription of copies from the said MSS, in the Library. This laborious task 
was undertaken by Dr. Dorn, who consecrated his leisure hours to this, undertaking and, 
after some months, procured for himself a correct copy of one of the two MSS. having 
also added the variations of the other in the margin. This version of Dr. Dorn's 
Lreceived in the beginning of, the, summer of 1841. | 
2. After examining. Dr: Dorn's:version, and comparing it with my “own'and' with 
Klaproth's Extrait du Derbend-nämeh, 1 discovered the gréat difference existing be- 
tween them, of which l'have more ‘than ‘once made mention, and at the same time a 
