236 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Aug. 



Lucknow, 30th May, 1848. 



My dear Sir, — I take the liberty of enclosing two small Arabic works 

 which the Asiatic Society might perhaps consider worthy to form part of the 

 proposed Bibliotheca Indica. The smaller contains definitions of grammatical 

 terms, and is tolerably correct the larger is a short Encyclopaedia of all the 

 sciences cultivated by the Arabs. It gives a definition of each science, its 

 subject, and the names of the principal works thereon. The MS. is unfor- 

 tunately not free from clerical errors. To form a good octavo volume I 

 would recommend that Jusy's Bibliography of Shiah Literature and Shah- 

 rashub's appendix to the same, be added ; they are both very small, useful and 

 so rare that, as far as I am aware, not even their name is known in Europe. 

 I have an old copy of both, and can obtain the loan of one or two copies. 



It would be necessary to edit these four treatises with great care, and I 

 would have great pleasure in superintending the printing. It would be 

 cheaper to have them printed at Allahahad or Agra, than at Calcutta. Paper 

 might be sent up by the Society in order to maintain uniformity of shape. 



I take this opportunity to recommend two works of Kalkachardy (of the 

 9th century of the H.) which would form one good volume, and which appear 

 to me to be of the highest importance ; one is called *rfW v^'cs 5 V^'^V 

 and the other u/ A 2>• ,, *&* &&P* ***}j*ttl ^J iaUs/l£J 4U. They both treat on 

 the Genealogy and history of the Arabic tribes, and are the ground-work of 

 Arabic history. Two copies of these two works are available here, and I am 

 very anxious to publish them. I am certain they would be well received in 

 Europe. The latter is the smaller and rarer of the two ; if the Society should 

 not like to undertake both at once, they might first publish this alone. 



I am your's very faithfully, 



A. Sprenger. 



Resolved unanimously, that the proposal of the Oriental Section be 

 adopted, and measures o taken immediately for the publication of the 

 Arabic Works as suggested by Dr. Sprenger. 



To Dr. W. B. O'Shaughnessy, Senior Secretary of the Asiatic Society, 



Dated, Asiatic Society, the 2\st July, 1848. 



Sir, — By direction of the Oriental Section I have the honour to forward 

 to you the accompanying list of works selected by Babu Hurry Mohun Sen 

 from the list of lithographed and printed books which Moulavee Abdullah 

 submitted to the Society. 



2. The Section do not attach much value to the greater portion of these 

 works, but as they are offered in exchange of our publications, of which a 



