1854.] Bibliographical Notice, 177 



Sanskrit words as have been used in Chinese MSS. and of which about 

 a quarter are known to have been correctly read. Extending his ana- 

 lysis to other Indian words, his penetrating mind has succeeded in 

 compiling a complete Chinese Sanskrit alphabet by means of which 

 he is in a condition to reduce with confidence to their Indian ortho- 

 graphy all Indian words transcribed in Chinese characters. This 

 discovery he first made known in the Journal Asiatique IV. Ser. X. 

 p. 81 and he has since perfected it. This it was which enabled 

 him to publish an index of nine hundred titles of Indian works 

 translated into Chinese, viz. Concordance sinico-sanskrite d'un nom- 

 bre considerable de titres d'ouvrages bouddhiques, recueillie dans 

 un catalogue chinois de l'an 1306, et publice, apres le dechifirement 

 et la restitution des mots indiens. Journ. Asiat. IV. Ser. XIV. 

 p. 353. By means of this index, a clear idea has first been con- 

 veyed of the richness of this branch of Chinese literature, as well as 

 a foresight of the great use to which it may be turned in explaining 

 Buddhism, if qualified scholars will but devote themselves to explor- 

 ing it. The discovery of this trustworthy process of reducing 

 Indian words transcribed in Chinese characters to their proper 

 orthography, may be considered as an important advance in the 

 progress of Chinese Philology, since it puts an end to the many 

 mistakes and uncertainties on the part of earlier translators of 

 Chinese works containing Indian words. In this as well as in 

 all other translations by St. J. of Chinese reports on India, all 

 Sanscrit words are found so exactly restored, that there is no room 

 for doubt of their correctness, even where they are hitherto unknown 

 geographical names. It is much to be desired therefore, that he 

 may carry out his plan and publish his Chinese Sanskrit alphabet 

 in order that other Sinologists may be able to make use of ifc. 



" The restoration of Sanskrit words translated into Chinese, was 

 attended by the difficulty already pointed out, that of discovering 

 the right word from among various possible synonyms. Here also 

 St. J. has done his best to be accurate. To words of which he enter- 

 tained the slightest doubt he has with praiseworthy conscientious- 

 ness appended a note of interrogation. I can assert on my own 

 experience, that he has always had good reasons for choosing his 

 word, and that in cases where this does not bear its usual meaning, 



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