PREFACE. IX 



The learned Societies at home will be proud to publish the 

 continuation of the Atialyses of the Purdnas, of which the four 

 first have appeared in these pages. Abstracts of four only were 

 ready for the press, but translations of the remainder of the eigh- 

 teen Purdnas themselves had been completed under the superin- 

 tendence of Professor Wilson before he quitted India. 



Mr. Alexander C soma's indefatigable labour, in opening to us 

 a first acquaintance with the literature of Tibet, will be estimated 

 as it deserves by literary men — a contracted circle perhaps, because 

 deep erudition and study are requisite to form critics capable of 

 appreciating the nature and bearing of his peculiar researches upon 

 the history, languages, and religions of other nations, both ancient 

 and modern. All may however feel sensible of the devotion, zeal, 

 and perseverance which are necessary to lead a man, alone and 

 unpaid, into a distant and wild country, to learn its language and 

 study its people at the fountain head. The volumes of notes which 

 Mr. Csoma has presented to the Asiatic Society, will, it is hoped, 

 be published in their Researches at length. 



In furtherance of the desire of the Government, the greater 

 part of Dr. Buchanan's Statistics of Dinajpiir has been printed in 

 a detached form, as commenced by the Editor of the Gleanings ; 

 and to complete the work more speedily, two extra numbers have 

 been issued in the course of the year. It will be remarked, that 

 there are many plates referred to in the text : the drawings 

 alluded to are in possession of the Honorable Court of Direc- 

 tors, along with the original manuscripts ; it was thought better 

 to preserve the references, in case the Hon'ble Court might here- 

 after be persuaded to publish them, either in a separate form or of a 

 size adapted to the present edition. It must not be forgotten that it 

 is this undertaking which gained to the Gleanings, the valuable 

 privilege of free postage through the Bengal Presidency. The 

 Editor is happy to announce that the same boon has, in the most 

 liberal manner, and without any solicitation, been extended to the 

 Presidency of Bombay and to the Government of Ceylon, by their 

 enlightened Governors, His Excellency Viscount Clare, and 

 His Excellency Sir R. W. Horton, to whom his thanks are thus 

 publicly and respectfully addressed. 



