830 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, [Sept. 



To J. Prinsep, Esq., Secretary to the Asiatic Society, Calcutta. 

 Sir, 



I am directed by the Right Honorable the Governor General to transmit to 

 you, for submission to the Asiatic Society, the accompanying copies of papers 

 relating to the interchange of works of Oriental Literature between India and 

 Egypt, proposed by Guetani Buy, a Spanish gentleman at the head of the Medi- 

 cal establishment at the latter place : and to convey the wish of His Lordship, 

 that the Asiatic Society will be pleased to favor him with their opinion on the 

 points indicated in my letter of the 18th instant, with a view to acknowledge in 

 some measure, the handsome overture made by Guetani Bey. In the meantime, 

 Major Felix has been requested to forward to your address the books, per list 

 No. 1, which have been already received from Egypt, and are in his possession, 

 excepting the " Biography of celebrated Philosophers by Abdulla Bin Hoo- 

 sen" which is herewith sent, advising you of the date and name of the vessel on 

 which the books may be forwarded to Calcutta. 



I have, &c. 

 Simla, \ W. H. Macnaghten, 



20th Aug. 1838. j Secy, to the Govt, of India with the Govr. Gent. 



To the Secretary to the Govt, of India in the General Department with the 

 Governor General. 

 Sir, 



I beg leave to state, that while at Lahore on my recent Mission, I received 

 two letters from Major Felix, private Secretary to the Governor of Bombay, 

 dated June the 8th and July the 5th, the first forwarding a letter to my address 

 dated Cairo, the 16th of April, from Col. De Hezeta, who returned from India 

 to Europe vi& Egypt last cold season, and from Guetani Bey, a Spanish gentle- 

 man at the head of the Medical Establishment in Egypt, dated Alexandria, the 

 11th of May, 



2. I have annexed extracts from Major Felix's letters and from that of Col. 

 De Hezeta, together with a copy of Guetani Bey's communication, and of the 

 two lists which he lias furnished of European works translated into Arabic. No. 1 r 

 is a list of the books actually sent to India by the Bey, and No. 2, is a list of 

 the books translated, which the Bey expresses his willingness to send should a 

 desire be expressed to have them. 



3. The Governor General will observe, that my learned correspondent ex- 

 presses his conviction that the Governments of Bombay and Calcutta, animated 

 by the same desire of being useful, have published similar translations in differ- 

 ent Oriental languages, and that an interchange of these works between India 

 and Egypt would prove of the greatest utility, as well to the people who are under 

 the beneficent rule of Great Britain, as to those who obey " the regenerator, 

 Mahomed All" 



4. I am apprehensive, that, as regards translations on this side of India, we 

 shall be able to make but a very poor return to Egypt for the valuable collection 

 transmitted by Guetani Bey. I would venture to suggest, that the Govern- 

 ment of Bombay be requested to furnish a list of all works which have there 

 been translated into the Oriental languages, and that I be authorized to forward 

 a copy of this correspondence to the Secretary of the Asiatic Society at Calcutta, 

 with a request, that that learned body be solicited to furnish their opinion, as to 

 the most appropriate mode of acknowledging the handsome overture of Guetani 

 Bey, and as to whether it would be advisable, with reference to our inability to 

 make a suitable return, to request a further supply of works according to the list 

 No. 2. It occurs to me as being possible, that the Society may deem it proper 

 to lay out a portion of the funds, which the Honorable the Court of Directors 

 have recently placed at their disposal for the encouragement of Oriental Litera- 

 ture, in the purchase of some of the works published in Egypt, and thereby in 

 Rome degree to aid the useful labors which are there being prosecuted. 



5. I would further suggest, that I may be authorized to request Major Felix 

 to forward to the Secretary of the Asiatic Society at Calcutta, the works which 

 have been already received in Bombay from Egypt. 



