f 69 ] 



menian, Perfian, Ethiopian, Coptic, Arabic, 

 and Syriac, efpecially among the Chriftians on 

 the Malabar coaft, and in the ifle of Socatora (d). 



6. The hiftory and fucceflion of princes, the 

 origin and migration of nations the govern- 

 ment and political conftitution of each country j 

 the caufes of the increafe or decay of power. 



7. A relation of the private and domeftic 

 life of the people - 9 the cuftoms obferved at the 

 birth of children; the marriages, fepulchral 

 rites, and any other circumftances characterizing 

 each nation. 



8. An account of the aftronomy and chro- 

 nology of different nations, whether they ob- 

 ferve the fyftem of the feven days of the week, 

 the names for thefe days, with their fignifica- 

 tion. 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 cer- 

 tain cyclus of years ; the names for particular ftars 

 and conftellations in the zodiac, with their fignifi- 

 cations ; the diftinctions of the other ftars from 

 the planets, with the length of their revolutions. 



The ftate in which the art of drawing, carv- 

 ing, and engraving in ftones has been, or now 

 is. Specimens, drawings, or collections of old 

 infcriptions, engravings, feals, gems, ftatues, carv- 

 ings, bailb and alto relievos, and the places where 

 each of the above monuments are found, the fize, 

 fubftance whereon it is worked, &c. the ancient 

 and current coin, with the exact valuation. 



(d) The Neftorian Chriftians formerly had a fettlement 

 among the Indians on the Malabar coaft, and were there 

 very much refpected. Are fome of thefe ftill exifting ? 

 Pave they any ancient Syriac books ? 



SECT. 



