1843.] Asiatic Society. 733 



4th. I am afraid a large box of books sent by us must have been lost somewhere. 

 Mr. Prinsep offered us to take charge of a number of copies of the x\siatic Society's 

 books, to be sold in Calcutta, we sent in 1838, a few copies of each ; amongst the 

 rest, 12 copies of Mr. Troyer's Raja Tarangini, but we never heard of them again, 

 and I do not find in your lists of books received any mention of them. Mr. Prinsep 

 had advised me to address the books to the Governor General, as they would be 

 then free of duty, and as the Governor General in the interval went to Upper India, 

 it is possible the books may have followed him, and be left or lost somewhere. It 

 is most likely quite useless to enquire now for them ; but if you should believe that 

 any of them would find buyers, I would be very happy to send another set. You will 

 find the list on the cover of any number of our Journal. 



Read, and approved, the following drafts of letters to Ministers of Fo- 

 reign Courts, and to the Vice-Chancellors of Universities, to be sent with 

 the presentations of the Society's Oriental works, as per resolution of the 

 last Meeting, (See Proceedings of July,) and it was farther resolved, that 

 communications should be opened with literary and scientific societies in 

 Europe and America as occasion might offer. 



To His Excellency the Minister of Public Instruction of France. 



I have the honour, by direction of the President and Members of the Asiatic Society 

 of Bengal, to forward to you two complete sets of each of the works noted in the 

 margin, being standard works in (and upon) the Arabic, Sanscrit and Thibetan lan- 

 guages, published or deposited for sale with the Society. 



The Society requests that you will place these books at the disposal of His Majesty 

 the King of the French, with the expression of their respectful hope, that they may 

 prove of sufficient interest to merit a place in the Royal Library, or in one of the Pub- 

 lic Libraries of His Majesty's kingdom. 



Should any works published, (as so many have munificently been by the French Go- 

 vernment,) for the general benefit of science, be now in course of distribution to learned 

 bodies, Colleges, and Societies in Europe, the Asiatic Society of Bengal would beg 

 to inscribe its name as that of a constituted body labouring in the cause of general 

 science, and earnestly desirous of reciprocating the presentation of works, the tendency 

 of which is its advancement. 



France, 2— Holland, 1— Prussia, 1— Austria, 1— Russia, 1— America, 1— Universities of Oxford, 

 Cambridge Dublin, and Christiana. 



To the Very Reverend the Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford. 



Rev. Sir, — 1 have the honour, by direction of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, to 

 forward to you for presentation to the University over which you preside, the books 

 noted in the margin, being standard works in (and upon) the Arabic, Sanscrit, and 

 Thibetan languages, published by or deposited for sale with the Society. 



The Society begs that should any works published for distribution to learned bodies 

 by the University, or under its patronage, be now in course of such distribution, its name 

 may be inscribed as desirous of reciprocating the presentation of works, the tendency 

 of which may be the advancement of science and literature. 



