230 Proceedings of So-'aUea : 1_0ct* 



Indian Navy is, at the present moment, not only one of the most impor- 

 ti'.nt depariments of the mihtary and civil services in British India, 

 but also one of the most powerful engines which can be employed hy 

 the Society for procuring information relative to Asia, and for dirfus- 

 ing amongst the people of that division of the globe, the arts, the sci- 

 ences, and the civilization of Europe. 



As to the second division of Asia, the following is the circumstance 

 which has principally called the attention of the public to it. The con- 

 sideration, first, of the effect which the approximation of Great Britain 

 to the British possessions in Indifl, by opening a direct communication 

 between Great Britain and India, through the ' rabian and Persian 

 Gulfs, is calculated to produce, as well upon the minds and feelings of 

 the people of Great Britain with respect to India, as upon the minds 

 and feelings of the people of India with respect to Great Britain. Se- 

 condly, of the effect which the establishment and colonization of a great 

 body of Englishmen in India is calculated to produce upon the moral 

 and political feelings of the people of India. Third, of the effect which 

 raising the people of India to the moral and political situation of the 

 people of Great Britain is calculated to produce, upon the authority 

 of Great Britain in India. And, fourthly, of the effect which the mea- 

 sures which must, sooner or later, be adopted by the British legisla- 

 ture for rendering Great Britain independent of foreign countries for 

 cotton and silk, by getting those articles from British India, are calcu- 

 lated to produce upon the interests of Great Britain and India. With 

 a view to this circumstance, the Committee of Correspondence have 

 taken steps for obtaining accurate information, from genuine Hindu 

 sources, relative to the general history, laws, moral principles, arts 

 and sciences of the Hindus of India ; for establishing Literary So- 

 cieties amongst the Hindus, for completing, through them, with the as- 

 sistance of the local governments, such parts of the Mackenzie Col- 

 lection as are still incomplete ;3 for procuring from the East India 

 Records in this country all such Reports as can throw light upon the 



3 Lord Auckland has, recently, it is understood, in consequence of the suggestions offer- 

 ed to him by the Committee before his departure from this country, taken the subject in- 

 to his consideration, and appointed Mr. Taylor, who has lately published some of the 

 papers relative to Madura collected by the late Colonel Mackenzie, to assist the llindil 

 Literary Society at Madias, in arranging such of the papers of the Mackenzie collection 

 as are now at Madras. 



4 Sir Alexander Johnston has, at different times, read most of these Reports, and is 

 therefore, fully aware of the very valuable information which they contain relative to 

 the laws, customs, and usages of the Hindus. A few of them are printed in the four 

 volumes of the Judicial and Revenue Selections, but many are still in manuscript, 

 and are highly deserving of being published, as they do the greatest honour to the 

 talents and zeal of those public servants by whom they are drawn up. 



