1847.] Hints to Students of Arabic. 373 



better results when due research shall have been made. The alteration 

 of the coal by the steam of the Mud Volcano cannot be great, since it 

 preserves so large proportion of its bituminous matter. And coal like 

 this if attainable, and in quantity, would be very valuable. 



The per centage of ash in English coal is I see* only 7 or 8, at the 

 highest, and more often far less. The mean of 13 specimens is 2.8 only, 

 but one would suppose some error here. 



Since this paper was written I have received from Major Williams a 

 further supply of specimens collected at the Volcano, of which he says 

 that there is no doubt about the coal's being the produce of the Volcano, 

 and that the hardest specimens sent are those from a former eruption. 

 Some of these are exactly our Volcanic coal, others approach more to 

 Jet, and some which are intersected with Carbonate of Lime make very 

 pretty specimens when polished. 



Hints to Students of Arabic ; extracted from a letter by Col. Lockett. 



I have to apologise to you for not writing sooner, but I have been 

 so much engaged with the public examinations in the College that I 

 have really not had time. 



If C. has made no progress in Arabic, he should commence with 

 Bayley's Tables, which he will master in a week. He may then read 

 attentively the Murt Amil and Shurhao Murt Amil, two works on 

 Arabic Syntax, which will give him enough of grammar. I have 

 translated both these works into English, and it will be of use to him, 

 as there are many easy Arabic stories in it with translations. He can 

 get a copy from the College Library on application. He must then 

 begin to read some easy Arabic work to give him words and a know- 

 ledge of construction. The Arabian Nights Entertainment, and the 

 Ikhwan-oos-suffa, are the easiest books and best adapted for that pur- 

 pose. He may read about 200 pages in each. Then he may com- 

 mence on Mahommedan Law in Arabic. 



There are three text books of the Mahommedan Law, all containing 



texts or simple rules on the same heads, but expressed in different 



words, supposed by the writers to be more explicit or comprehensive. 



The most ancient and authentic is that of Kudooree. The Wakayah 



* Prinsep's Table, Jour. : Vol. VII. p. 197. 



