[ i 7 8 ] 



amongft thefe we may enumerate the Chartah 

 Bhade Shattah of Bramah, the Chartah Bhade and 

 Aughtorrah Bhade Shaftah, the Vedam*, the fa- 

 cred books of the Perfees, written in the ancient 

 Perfian dialects, called the Zend, and Pehlvit; 

 the Koran of Mahomet; the facred books of the 

 Mendaeans or Sabaites, at or near Baflbra in the 

 Perfian gulph ; the voluminous facred books of 

 the Lamas in Nexpal and Thibet, called Khan- 

 giur, and it's myftic part, termed Riute ; the facred 

 books of the priefts in Pegu and Siam, and others 

 of fimilar tendency. Thefe would be ftill more 

 valuable, could Englifh, Latin, or French tranfla- 

 tions be added. 



4. Defcriptions of the manners, cuftoms, feafts, 

 and religious ceremonies of the refpe&ive nations ; 

 the architecture both exterior and interior of their 

 temples, religious, public, and private buildings ; 

 the figures, names, genealogies and ranks of their 

 divinities and idols ; their facred and domeftic 

 utenfils, the cafts and ranks of people, the learn- 

 ing and religious tenets of each nation, to all 

 which explanatory drawings would be required. 

 What nations ufe circumcifion, and what are the 

 advantages derived from fuch a cuftom, or difad- 

 vantages from the omiflion of it ? Is circumci- 

 fion ever extended to the females, and in what 

 manner is it employed ? 



* In the peninfula on this fide the Ganges, the facred books 

 of the Bramins are contained in the Vedam, copies of which, in 

 the original Sanfcrit character, would be very valuable. 



+ The Pchlvi is a more modern dialed. 



5. The 



