1837] 



and Auxiliary Royal Asiatic Society, 



325 



ration, if possible, of injured portions : a fair transcript of parts becoming illegible, 

 and an account of the contents of each in some detail. This of itself would be 

 «t very considerable advantage.* 3 



4. The Committee further desire me to say that, should the work be entered 

 upon in the proposed manner, they will be most happy to afford every aid in their 

 power towards the accomplishment of a design, alike so worthy of the patronage of 

 our enlightened and liberal Government, and of the encouragement of a Literary 

 Society with objects like our own. 



The Committee recommend that no time be lost in obtaining from Calcutta the 

 remainder of the Manuscripts in the peninsular languages. 



I have the honour to be, 

 Sir, 



Your most obedient servant, 



Robert Cole, 

 Secretary Asiatic Department. 



Resolved, unanimously — That copies of the foregoing correspondence 

 be transmitted for the information of Government, with an expression 

 of regret that the funds of the Society are quite inadequate to afford any 

 pecuniary aid to this highly desirable public undertaking ; but that all 

 the assistance which the Society can render, as a literary body, will be 

 cordially and gladly yielded during the progress of the work* 



Read the following letter from Sir Alexander Johnston, Chairman 

 •f the Committee of Corvespondence of the Royal Asiatic Society. 

 * - 



Royal Asiatic Society i 



Grafton Street, Bond Street, June, 1836. 



Gentlemen, 



The vast extent, fertility, and populousness of our Indian possessions, are 

 known, in a general way, to all the world. A glance, indeed, at the map will 

 shew that their extremes of latitude may, without exaggeration, be indicated by 

 the distance from Gibraltar to the farthest point of Scotland ; and that the mea- 

 sure of their extent, from west to east, will be nearly found in a line drawn from 

 the Bay of Biscay to the Black Sea. Lying between the 5th and 31st degree of 

 north latitude, with almost every conceivable variety of position and exposure, 

 they present a range of soil and climate greatly exceeding that which is to be 

 found within the bounds of Europe. They embrace, in truth, the utmost limits of 

 vegetable, life, from the burning heat of the desert to the point of perpetual conge- 

 lation ; presenting in one quarter, the loftiest mountains in the world ; and, in 

 another, vast alluvial plains, intersected by the natural channels of many noble 

 rivers, with a corresponding variety of productions belonging both to tropical 

 and northern regions. Not less than 80 millions of people are subject to the 

 dominion of England : already they produce (though with imperfect skill) most 

 of the articles which form the great staples of the import trade of this country, 

 as materials of its manufacture, or as the obj ects of comfort and luxury to the great 



