oct. — mas. 1859-60.] in Roman characters. 



243 



arises, as to what names of places are so spelt now, but to write 

 them correctly would lead to actual confusion and inaccuracy. It 

 would not perhaps be asking too much of Government, to expect 

 them to decide, and give a list of all such names, such perhaps as 

 Madras, (the proper spelling of which no one knows,) Pondicher- 

 ry, Tranquebar, Trichinopoly, Triplicane &c. 



It should be considered whether Vellore, Nellore, Chingleput, 

 Coimbatoor, Poonamallee, Seringapatam &c. should or should not 

 be correctly written. At all events a list should be made of all 

 exceptions. 



A correct list of the Muhammadan months should be prepared, 

 and such words as " Rubbee oo-lawl," for Rabi c u-l-awal and Ju- 

 madisany for Jamada-'S-'sani repudiated. It might at the same 

 time be made known that the year of the Hijra (vulg Hegirah) is 

 easily reduced approximately to A. D. by deducting 3 per cent, 

 and adding 622. 



The list should also contain the Tamil and Telugu years and 

 months ; though as regards the Tamil years, it is a question if the 

 Sanskrit orthography should be retained, or the Tamil spelling 

 adhered to throughout. Are we to write " Prijotpati" or " Pir- 

 sorpati ?" If the latter, is the Sanskrit orthography to be adher- 

 ed to throughout ? If so, a correct spelling of each year can only 

 be made out by some one acquainted with Sanskrit. The list 

 should also contain the correct spelling of the Muhammadan and 

 Hindu Feast days. I have seen extraordinary renderings in 

 some official orders as to Native Holidays, such as " Soo- 

 berat" for " Shab-i-barat," " Buckreed" for « Bagr'id," 

 " Audy Pundyga" for " 'Adi pandagai." The Madras Con- 

 stables know the Muharram as the " Hobson Jobson Feast!" 

 from Hasan and Husain, the martyrs celebrated therein. 



I now proceed to notice the objection taken to interfering in the 

 present spelling of many words on the ground that they are ste- 

 reotyped by language, and are secured by a kind of official gua- 

 rantee in the wording of the Regulations, General Orders, &c. 

 Really if we are to retain the orthography in these cases, we may 

 as well give up the icheme of transliteration altogether, as far as 

 official terms are concerned. If the scheme is to be adopted at 

 Vol. xx. o. s. Vol. tii. n. s. 



