C 179 3 



5. The tranflations of the Bible in different lan- 

 guages ; and the facred books of Chriftians of va- 

 rious denominations; as the Georgian, Armenian,, 

 Perfian, ^Ethiopian, Coptic, Arabic, and Syriac, 

 efpecially among the Chriftians on the Malabar 

 coaft, and in the ifle of Socatora*. 



6. The hiftory and fuceeffion of princes, the 

 origin and migration of nations ; the government 

 and political conftitution of each country ; the 

 caufes of the increafe or decay of power. 



7. A relation of the private and domeftic life 

 of the people ; the cuftoms obferved at the birth 

 of children; the marriages, fepulchral rites, and 

 any other circumftances chara&erifing each na- 

 tion. 



8. An account of the aftronomy and chrono- 

 logy of different nations, whether they obferve 

 the fyftem of the feven days of the week, the 

 names for thefe days, with their fignification. The 

 number, names, and fignifications of their months; 

 the number of thefe in a year ; whether they are 

 ufed to conciliate the moon's and fun's motion by 

 any intercalation, or a certain cyclus of years ; 

 the names for particular ftars and conftellations in 

 the zodiac, with their fignifications ; the diftinc- 

 tions of the other ftars from the planets, with the 

 length of their revolutions. 



The ftate in which the art of drawing, carv- 



• The Neftorian Chriftians formerly had a fettlement among 

 the Indians on the Malabar coaft, and were there very much re- 

 fpefted. Arefome of thefe ftill exifting? Have they any an- 

 cient Syriac books ? 



A a 2 ing. 



