1,870.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 211 



one hundred and one vernaculars which, according to a little work 

 on Philology by Mr. Beames, are now current in India, is so 

 utopian or absurd, that I need not wait to notice it. It has been 

 said that if the Uriyas themselves cannot get up a literature, the 

 Government will help them. This is, however, very unlikely. Vast 

 no doubt are the resources of the British Government in India, and 

 vaster still is its earnestness to ameliorate the condition of the peo- 

 ple under its sway, but I doubt very much of they will ever suffice 

 to create a hundred and one literatures, and keep them au courant 

 with those of Europe, even if such a thing as a " deficit" was never 

 known to our financiers. Admitting, however, for the sake of ar- 

 gument, that Government would assist to a very large extent in 

 furthering the education of the people, I would ask, would it be 

 fair, would it be just, would it be politic, on its part to do so by 

 multiplying languages? Had our Government been guided by 

 that narrow, Jesuitical, unholy and unchristian doctrine of divide et 

 mpera, it would perhaps have been expedient. But the liberal and 

 noble-minded gentleman who represents Her Britannic Majesty in 

 this country and his council, would scorn such a policy, and, I am 

 satisfied, would not deliberately lend themselves to uphold it. The 

 main object of language is to unite mankind by one common bond 

 of speech, but to foster a hundred and one languages within the 

 boundary of a single country like India, would not be to promote 

 that all-important object, but to raise a tower of Babel to disunite 

 and disperse the native races. It is not my intention, however, to 

 advocate, at present, a single language for all India, but to plead 

 for the Uriyas, and on the ground of unity of religion, race, and 

 language, to take them amongst us, and to place at their disposal 

 a fair share of all we possess, and may hereafter obtain. In Orissa 

 they cannot publish a single book without adventitious aid, while 

 in Bengal book-making has already become a profitable trade, and 

 many have their manors placed behind their publishers' counters. 

 "We already publish more than five hundred books every year, and 

 hope ere long to multiply the number manifold. As a note-worthy 

 instance, I may mention that a few years ago I prepared a map of 

 India in Bengali, and it brought me a profit within one year of 

 over six thousand rupees. The same map was subsequently trans- 



