1836.] 



Notices of Books. 



149 



history. Between the Pandion Chronicle and the Carnataca dynasty, 

 even with the aid of the supplementary manuscript, there is a chasm, 

 or period of great uncertainty, from the 7th or 8th century of the 

 Christian era, down to the 13th ; and with a view to do something 

 towards throwing light on that period, a connective survey follows the 

 Carnataca Dynasty, in which its author has made large use of Pro- 

 fessor Wilson's Descriptive Catalogue of the Mackenzie MSS. $ com- 

 paring, in some places, the Professor's materials with his own ; and, in 

 a deferential manner, suggesting some modifications towards a general 

 conclusion. This survey compresses a considerable portion of infor- 

 mation within a small compass. The annotations are thenceforward 

 resumed, with some aid from Ferishta's History of the Dekhan by 

 Scott, and from his account of the Patan and Mogul empire by Dow : 

 the smaller manuscripts, prepared by Mirtanjeya Puttar, the Head 

 Bramin at Madura, for Mr. Ellis, here come into use, as illustra tive of 

 different portions of the leading narrative. At p. 139, a valuable use 

 of the Mackenzie MSS. and Professor Wilson's notice of them is 

 pointed out, as a check on Ferishta's carelessness and apprehend ed in- 

 correctnesss ; the more important as Ferishta's authority has generally 

 been deemed almost conclusive. From p. 167 the translator com- 

 mences making use of a Tamil writing and Telugu manuscript, ob- 

 tained from the Mackenzie collection at the College, in amplification 

 of the leading theme. The Tamil writing relates to the history of a 

 Chief Poligar and his descendants, as interwoven with the history of 

 the capital j and the Telugu MS. commencing from the accession of 

 the son of the famous Trimal Naig, brings down the narrative, through 

 various wars with Mysore, Tanjore, with Chanda Saheb and his parti- 

 sans, and finally with Mahomed Ali of Arcot, down to the extinction 

 of the royal line, and to their living in a village as merely private 

 persons. It is stated that Lord Pigot intended to restore this line • 

 but, with his death, hope expired. The latest of the Mirtanjeya 

 MSS. is a document addressed to Government, as late as December 

 1820 ; and it represents the descendants of royalty as being in distress, 

 from want of sufficient maintenance. Such are sometimes the transi- 

 tions from worldly splendour. 



" The Appendix contains a dissertation concerning the earliest loca- 

 tion of mankind after the Deluge — translation of native descriptions 

 of the respective heavens of Siva and Vishnu — the proverbs of a 

 Pandion king, translated from the high Tamil dialect— geographical 

 stanzas on the boundaries of ancient kingdoms, referred to in the work 

 — a schedule of such Mackenzie MSS. in the list of Professor Wilson, 

 as the Editor conjectured might be of value — some stanzas on the 

 economy of aboriginal native courts, from the Sataga of a Tamil poet 

 —and, lastly, a native account of the kings of Ceylon, with the trans- 



