1838.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 665 



The Quarterly Journal of the Calcutta Medical and Physical Society, No. VI. — 

 by the Editors, Prof. Goodeve and O'Shaughnessy. 



Rapport annuel sur les travaux de la Societe d' Historie naturelle de V ile Maurice, 

 2837— by M. Julien Desjardins. 



Meteorological observations for Dec 1837 and 3 months of 1838, at Maurice— by 

 the same. 



Ditto at Calcutta, for June — by the Surveyor General. 



Observations meteorologiques faites a Mattepolliam, et a Kotigherry aux Neilgher- 

 rtes, en Mars, Avril, May et Juin 1838,— fa/ M. Adolphe Delessert. 



The following purchased at the suggestion of the Museum Committee. 



Jardine and G. Vejlby's Illustrations of Ornithology, 1st fasc. N. S. 



Lardner's Cyclopedia — Russia vol. I. from W. Allen and Co. 



A letter from Government forwarded for deposit in the Society's library, 

 an account book and map belonging to the late travellers Moorcroft and 

 Trebeck, which were lately recovered with 50 other volumes from the 

 chief of Kunduz, Meer Moorad Beg by Dr. Lord. 



The following information respecting the fate of these unfortunate tra- 

 vellers is extracted from Captain Burnes' report on the subject to the 

 Governor General, dated 1st May, 1838. 



Memorandum regarding books and papers of the late Mr. Moorcroft, 

 by Mr. Lord. 



1. I have the honor to present you a list of books and papers belonging to the 

 late Mr. Moorcroft which 1 have been so fortunate as to recover during my recent 

 journey to Toorkistan. 



2. For the greater part of them I am indebted to Meer Mahomed Moorad Beg 

 who, immediately on my arrival at Koondooz, wrote to the khan of Moozar desir- 

 ing that all such relics of the European traveller should forthwith be sent. In re- 

 ply to this, 50 volumes all of printed works were immediately forwarded, the re- 

 mainder including the maps, Mr. Moorcroft's passports in English and Persian 

 from the Marquis of Hastings, and a MS. volume with several loose MS. sheets, 

 chiefly of accounts, I was enabled to recover when by the Meer's permission, I my- 

 »elf, made a visit to Khooloom and Moozar. 



3. I think the evidence 1 have received proves, as strongly as the nature of ne- 

 gative evidence will admit, that no MS. papers of any value belonging to that ill- 

 fated expedition remain to be recovered. I paid every person who brought books, 

 and always explained that I would give double reward for any thing that was writ- 

 ten, and tbough in consequence of this, several sheets of MS. were brought me, they 

 never appeared on examination to contain any thing beyond accounts and such, 

 routine matters. Now as the natives must be unable to make the distinction, the 

 chances evidently are that if any papers of importance existed, one or two of them at 

 least would have found their way to me amongst the numbers presented. 



4. I append a letter from Mirza Humee ood deen, the principal Secretary to 

 the Khan of Muzar and a man who attended Mr. Trebeck in his last moments, 

 saying that two printed and one MS. volume are in existence at Shuhr Subz, and 

 that he had sent a man to recover them for me. As I have since been obliged to 

 leave the country, and all communication is by the present state of affairs at Cabool 

 rendered impossible, I mention this fact as one worthy the attention of some future 

 traveller. 



5. The map is in itself a document of much interest as containing Mr. Moor- 

 croft's route traced, evidently with his own hand, and continued as far as Akcha 

 within one stage of Audkhoee, where he is known to have fallen a victim, not more, 

 I believe, to the baneful effects of the climate than to the web of treachery and in- 

 trigue by which he found himself surrounded and his return cut off. On the back 

 of the map is a MS. sketch of the route through Adkhoee to Meinuma and back 

 through Sireepoor to Bulkh, as though he had planned a tour through these little 

 independent states, partly perhaps to see the horses for which they are famed, and 

 partly to wile away the weariness of expectation till a safe conduct should be grant- 

 ed him through the territories of the ruler of Koondooz.. We can thus almost trace 

 the last object that engaged his mind and in the prosecution of which he laid down 

 his life. 



6. Connected with this I beg to subjoin a slip of paper which I found amongst 

 a pile of loose accounts and which bears in Mr. Trebeck's writing, the following 

 entry. 



" Date September 6th 1825. Arrived at Bulkh August 25th, Mr. M. died August 

 27th," placing the date of Mr. Moorcroft's death beyond a doubt, and also I thiuk 

 affording negative evidence against the supposition of its having been caused by 

 any unfair means. 



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