324 



Proceedings of the Madras Literary Society 



[April 



greater expenditure than the efficient conduct of the undertaking will imperatively 

 require. 



I have the honour to bo, 

 Sir, 



Your most obedient servant, 

 Madras, December 20, 183G. W. Taylor, 



It was announced to the Meeting that copies of the two foregoing let* 

 ters had been received from the Committee of Papers, with the follow- 

 ing communication : — 



To John Carnac Morris, Esq. F. R. S. 



Secretary to the Madras Literary Society, %c. 



Sir, — 1. I am directed by the Committee of Papers to acknowledge the receipt 

 of your letter, dated 28th October 1836, referring for the consideration of the 

 Committee a letter from Robert Clerk, Esq. Secretary to Government, together 

 with its various enclosures, on the subject of the Mackenzie Manuscripts in the 

 languages vernacular in the Peninsula of India. 



2. In accordance with the instructions conveyed in the second paragraph of 

 that letter, I have communicated with the Rev. William Taylor j and a copy of his 

 reply accompanies. It will be seen that that gentleman is willing to undertake 

 the examination, collation and restoration of this portion of the Mackenzie Ma- 

 nuscripts, and that the expense of the undertaking, including personal remunera- 

 tion to Mr, Taylor, and the pay of moonshees and writers, is estimated at 400 

 Rupees^er mensem; exclusive of the assistance, for a time, of certain pundits and 

 moonshees. 



3. Taking into consideration that the Manuscripts in question form a consider- 

 able portion of a collection, which was considered of sufficient importance to be 

 made the object of a purchase by the Supreme Government at a considerable cost, 

 and that they may contain matter of great interest on the history and literature of 

 this country, the Committee cannot but rejoice that measures are likely to be 

 taken to ascertain their precise nature, until a knowledge of which is attained, 

 the purchase may be considered of uncertain value and the original intention un- 

 fulfilled. No person appears more fitted, by talents and previous studies, to under- 

 take the laborious investigation than the Rev. W. Taylor ; and the committee 

 rely on his judgment and candour to render such a comprehensive and faithful 

 report on them, as would be a guide when the time arrives for considering the 

 ulterior measures of translation and publication. It will be observed that one year, 

 or a year and a half, is laid down by Mr. Taylor as the time that would proba- 

 bly be required to arrive at such a knowledge of the contents of the manuscripts, 

 here and at Calcutta, as w ould enable him to frame such a report. For that period, 

 therefore, the above stated expense would be entailed ; after which it would be for 

 the consideration of the Society and the determination of Government, whether the 

 further charges for translation and publication should be incurred. The labours 6f 

 this first period would include a collation of the different manuscripts, rendered 

 necessary by great confusion and intermixture among them (as may be gathered 

 from Mr. Taylor's letter at p. 433 of No. 13 of the Journal of the Society) ; aresto* 



