50 Literary Intelligence. [No. 1. 



Journal of a Moorish traveller in France and Holland. His de- 

 scription of the sights of Paris is very amusing, but the most ludi- 

 crous part is his falling in love with a French heiress. 



In speaking of Geography, I must not forget to mention two 

 Europeo- Arabic works on the subject. One is a complete trans- 

 lation of Malte Brun, printed in Egypt, in folio. I have seen only 

 the second volume. It seems to be well done. The other is a 

 work, 8vo. about 350 pp. written in Arabic expressly for the use 

 of the natives of this country by Dr. Van Dyek, an American Mis- 

 sionary, and printed at Beyroot. It is extremely well done. He 

 consulted Arabic as well as European sources, and enlivens the sub- 

 ject occasionally with a verse. The language is a compromise be- 

 tween modern and classical Arabic and very idiomatic. A guarantee 

 for the correctness of the style and language is that the poet Na- 

 ceff has written it over before it went to press. It would well deserve 

 to be introduced in Mohammadan schools in India. Speaking of 

 this translation I cannot help expressing my esteem for the Ame- 

 rican missionaries in Syria. Their object is not to found a new sect 

 of Christians among the innumerable sects which already exist in 

 those parts of the world, but to emancipate the Christians from 

 superstitions and other tenets and practices which are either con- 

 trary or at all events not connected with religion. They are in fact 

 apostles of civilization, and the consequence is that at Beyroot — 

 their head quarters— and in the Libanon they have enlisted intelli- 

 gence for themselves. They have not a body of governors, a Com- 

 mittee consisting of Sir John Dunky, the Hon'ble Ass, and similar 

 highly respectable individuals, but they rule themselves, meeting 

 for consultation whenever there may be need, public opinion being 

 their only control. The Americans are too wide awake to use any 

 other than the Arabic language as the vehicle of education, 

 and some of them (particularly Dr. E. Smith) are eminent Arabic 

 scholars. They have printed several Arabic grammars, &c. and 

 contributed much to induce the native Christians (to whom alone 

 they address themselves) to cultivate their mother-tongue. The 

 catholic clergy of the Libanon is obliged to follow their example, 

 aud they were establishing similar schools, and what is the most 

 amusing part, they were teaching in them, the books printed by 



