202 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [June, 



most prominent results. Party feeling now runs high, and I am told 

 that more than one libel case has been instituted in connexion with the 

 subject. The main question being purely philological, it is not remark- 

 able that so distinguished a labourer in that field of science as Mr. 

 Beames, should come forward to take a part in its discussion. His 

 paper is highly interesting, and I am delighted to hear of a com- 

 parative grammar of the Indian vernaculars from his able pen. I 

 must say, however, that he has done an injustice to the author of 

 his text in describing the little work as " profoundly destitute of 

 philological arguments." No doubt Pandit Kantichandrais 

 not very familiar with the modern European works on philology, 

 and his mode of treating his subject will be found to differ from the 

 course followed in similar cases by European authors, but bearing 

 in mind the language (Bengali) in which he has written the 

 book, and the people for whom he has designed it, I mast say 

 that he has displayed considerable tact and talent. My testimony 

 will, perhaps, not be of much worth, I wish, therefore, to give a 

 brief resume of his work, in order that the meeting may be in a 

 position to judge for itself. The first three chapters of the work 

 treat of the origin of the different vernaculars now current in India, 

 and the causes which have lead to their formation. The author 

 then defines the natural boundary of Bengal and Orissa, and in the 

 next chapter enters upon the main subject of his essay, the simili- 

 tude between the Bengali and the Uriya languages. This he does 

 by quoting passages of Uriya from diverse sources, and comparing 

 then with Bengali. Uriya vocables form the subject of his next 

 chapter, and he there shews that the ordinary elements of Bengali 

 speech aro all current in the Province of Orissa, either intact or 

 under some modification or other. In the eighth chapter is brought 

 under review the grammatical apparatus of Uriya, its declensions, 

 gender, number, case and conjugation. Chapters next fellow on 

 songs, proper names, manners and customs, dictionaries and alpha- 

 bets, which go a great way to shew that the bulk of the Uriya race 

 does not differ from the Bengali ; and the work is brought to a 

 conclusion with some very pertinent remarks on the injustice and 

 impropriety of cutting off the Uriyds from the Bengali by artificial 

 barriers under the name of education. 



