36$ Biographical shcfch of Col. Mache7izie. [Oer. 



<^ranfs, preserved either on metals, or on paper ; and 

 his success in this way is far heyond what coukl have 

 been expected. The numerous collections* of materials 

 he has made under the different heads ahove notedr, 

 must be highly interestinsf and curious; and the specie 

 mens he has adduced in the nianuscri[)t volumes he has 

 sent us abundantly answer tins character, whether the 

 grants, which are generally of lands, to Brahmans, are 

 all authenticf (which we mention, not to assert a doubt,, 

 but to suggest a reasonable point of inquiry), or whe- 

 ther the whole of the materials shall be found to form a 

 connected series of historical facts respecting a country 

 which seems to have been always subject to commotions 

 and changes, and unfavourable to the preservation of 

 political records. Still, it must be allowed, that this ef- 

 fort promises the fairest of any w^hich has yet been made 

 to bring from obscurity any scattered fragments of true 

 history which exist, and undoubtedly encourages the 

 expectation of ultimately obtaining both considerable in- 

 sight into the state of the country and its governments 

 in more modern periods, and some satisfactory indicati- 

 ons of its original institutions and earlier revolutions. 

 We are therefore very desirous that Lieut.-ColoneL 

 Mackenzie should himself digest and improve the ma- 

 terials he has collected ; and we hope the office which 

 you have conferred on him in Mysore will afford him 

 leisure for this work. After he has accomplished it, 



* This collection has been augmented in a quadruple proporti- 

 on since 180S, both in the peninsuk in Hindustan, and ultimate- 

 ly extended to a new field, the oriental islands, seas, and coasts 

 ©f Asia. 



t There can be no doubt of their authenticity; not an instance 

 of forgery has been discovered or even suspected, save one, (and 

 that rather assists history). As they are all before 1620, there is 

 no inducement to fraud; anxl no one has yet add,uced any claims, 

 upon them. 



