590 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Sep*. 



Minute by Mr. W. H. Macnaghten. 

 Of the genuineness of Mr. Brownlow's manuscript, there cannot, I 

 think, be the slightest doubt. I have compared the third volume of the 

 " Contes Inedits," by M. Trebutien, with the fourth volume of the ma- 

 nuscript, and, as far as I can judge from reading three or four of the 

 commencing and concluding pages, and looking over some of the inter- 

 mediate pages of each of the six last tales, I believe that they corre- 

 spond almost exactly. 



I have also carefully looked through the third volume of the MSS. The 

 anecdotes which are at the end of the third volume of the French trans- 

 lation, are contained in this volume ; but they do not, in the Arabic 

 MSS. appear to be so numerous. They are chiefly introduced between 

 the stories styled c Histoire d'Adjib et de Gherib," (the last story of the 

 first volume of Trebutien,) and that styled " Des ruses de Dalilah et de 

 la fille Zeinub," (the first story of the second volume of Trebutien.) 



I have not had time to compare all the " Anecdotes." They are not 

 entered in the same order as in the French version, owing to which the 

 comparison would necessarily be a work of time — but I have been able 

 to compare the anecdotes styled " Divorce et second mariage de Hind 

 fille de Naaman," page 464, and that styled " Conduite du Vizier Ibn 

 Aamir," page 487, and I find that they minutelv correspond with the 

 Arabic MSS. 



On comparing the story styled " Histoire d' Abdallah 1' habitant de la 

 Mer et d' Abdallah 1' habitant de la Terre*," I was much struck with the 

 mutilated state of the story as contained in the French version. I sub- 

 join a version in English of the French and of the Arabic stories. It 

 will be seen at once, how much the former has been shorn of its fair 

 proportions. 



Story of Abdallah the inhabitant of the Sea, and of Abdallah the inhabitant 



of the Land. 



There was once a fisherman, called Abdallah, who was father of a numerous 

 family. All his riches consisted in his nets, with which he went every day to 

 the sea shore to supply the wants of his family ; he lived in this way from day 

 to day. His wife was confined for the tenth time of a boy : that very day 

 there was nothing at all in their house. The wife told her husband to take his 

 nets, and to throw to the good luck of the new born. The fisherman took his 

 nets, and threw them in with prayers for the happiness of his son. When he 

 drew them out the first time, they were filled with sand, gravel, reeds, and 

 mud, and he did not find even one single fish. It was the same also the second 

 and third time. In vain did the poor fisherman try another place : the night 

 overtook him before he had caught the least thing. 



" Great God !" cried he, " is this the luck of my new born ! has thou cre- 

 ated him that there may be no happiness for him ! It cannot be so : he who has 

 opened his lips to form a mouth, has taken care of his existence." Overcome 

 with sadness, he threw his nets upon his shoulders and slowly took the way to 

 his dwelling, thinking what he could say to his starving children and his lying- 

 in wife. He passed before the shop of a baker where he was wont to buy bread. 

 Seduced by the smell of the hot bread, poor Abdallah stopped before the shop, 

 and cast looks of starvation on the bread just brought from the oven. " Do you 

 wish for bread ?" asked the baker of him. " I would willingly have some for my 

 poor children," replied the fisherman, " but I have no money to pay for it, for I 

 have not caught a single fish to-day : nevertheless, if you are willing, I will leave 

 my nets in pledge." " How," replied the baker, " could you earn money to pay 

 me, if you leave me your nets in pledge ? Hold, here are ten loaves, what you are 

 accustomed to take, and, moreover, ten pieces of money which I lend you. If 



* Page 89 of Vol. III. of Trebutien. 



