530 Literary Intelligence, Sfc. [No. 5, 



was told a copy was fov sale at Lucknow. I tried in vain to get hold 

 of it. If it is to be found it would be worth while to purchase it 

 (the price then named was 100 rupees) and to send it to Wiistenfeld, 

 who, if the opportunity was offered to him, would no doubt be glad to 

 buy it himself, 



" Mr. De Goeje of Leiden is preparing an edition of the Geography 

 of Abu Zayd Balkhy and of that of Ibn Hauqal. He farther intends 

 to edit the Asas albilagha AiXJi^Loi of Zamakhshary. The latter 

 work I consider as useless, or rather worse than useless, but the for- 

 mer two will be a very useful addition not only to eastern geography, 

 but also to our knowledge of the state of civilization of the empire 

 of the Khalifs. 



" Should you not like to undertake a poetical work in Persian, I would 

 recommend you the Ayeen Akbaree. It is one of the most valuable 

 historical records we possess. 1 am aware of the difficulties which 

 will attend the editing it. There is probably not one copy to 

 be found which contains all the tables. Your best plan will be to 

 collect all the MSS. you can find, to collate them and to make a new 

 copy, as perfect as your materials will allow, with all the variants of 

 importance, and if you are unable to give a perfect text, to restore it 

 as far as it is in your power, — you might possibly get MSS. from the 

 India House. If not, I dare say Mr. Wright would compare your 

 MS. with those found in England. Sir H. Elliot had the intention 

 of translating it, and he prepared a copy for this purpose. Mr. Thomas 

 might possibly get it for the sake of its being compared. Whatever 

 the result of your endeavours may be, thus much is certain, no one 

 will be able to do as much as your Society." 



Capt. E. Smyth writes from Camp Srinugur, Gurhwal, November 

 20th, 1882. 



" I crossed the Niti pass into Gurhwal on the 21st October. It was 

 tolerably cold before I left, but not so cold as last year. One day 

 the thermometer was at 8° at sunset and the same next morning. 

 (It probably went down to zero during the night ) Last year it sank 

 below zero on several occasions. I crossed the Johar pass into Thibet 

 on the J5th September. I was benighted and had to bivouac without 



