1833] 



Royal Asiatic Society. 



375 



Several valuable works are now in the course of printing under tlie 

 auspices of the Committee ; while the translation of many others is in a 

 state of considerable forwardness. Among the former may be mentioned 

 the following: — 



1. The Vishnu Parana, one of the Puranas of the Vaishnava order, 

 containing copious details relating to the doctrines and rites of the 

 votaries of Vishnu ; with a genealogy of Hindu Kings, and the life of 

 Krishna ; translated from the Sanskrit, by Professor Wilson. 



2. The text of the Sankhya Karika ; a compendious view of the 

 Sankhya system of Philosophy; with Colebrooke's translation, accom- 

 panied by notes, illustrations, &c., by Professor Wilson. 



3. Makrizi's History of Egypt, commencing with the fall of Saladin ; 

 translated into French by M. Quatremere. 



4. The first book of the Rigveda Sanhita, a collection of ancient 

 Sanskrit Hymns ; edited and translated into Latin by Professor Rosen. 



The numerous donations to the Library and Museum since the last 

 Anniversary have been already notified in the proceedings of the Socie- 

 ty. It will, therefore, be necessary to particularize only one or two of 

 those, which, by their importance or rarity, call for especial remark. 



The additional Sanskrit MSS, and printed Tibetan books, presented 

 by Mr. B. H. Hodgson since the last Anniversary, complete a body of 

 original Bauddhic literature, certainly unique in Europe. The yet ob- 

 scure system of philosophy by which so many millions of inhabitants of 

 the East are directed, and which may, perhaps, boast of a greater num- 

 ber of followers than any other existing system in the world, may now 

 be illustrated from the original sources, and its principles accurately 

 developed. Testimonies of the importance af these works have been 

 given by continental authors. The philologist also will be gratified by 

 the large accession of materials derived from the number of Tibetan texts 

 now placed at his disposal. 



To J. C. VV^HisH, Esq., the Libraiy is indebted for a large collection 

 of works, chiefly- in Sanskrit, but in the Malayalam character, written on 

 palm-leaves, and principally comprising the Vedas, and other religious 

 and philosophical works of the Hindus. This large collection was made 

 by his late brother, C. M. Whish, Esq., of the Madras Civil Service, dur- 

 ing a course of many years that he was resident on the Western coast of 

 the Southern Peninsula of India. 



John Romer, Esq., is the donor of several curious Manuscripts, some 

 of which are of great rarity ; we may specify a poetical version in Ara- 



