1838.] 



Miscellanea, 



431 



from the press, and of thereby at once obtaining either a confirmation 

 or refutation of the expectations I entertain as to its pointing out the 

 road to a new and interesting field of research in Asia. 



In the proceedings of the Asiatic Society published in the Journal of 

 July last, an invitation will be found on my part to the Members of 

 that Institution, to enter upon thai criticism, whenever the work might 

 be submitted to them. I have no doubt, from the manner in which the 

 request was then received, of its being complied with. It would be 

 satisfactory to me, if oriental scholars in the Madras Literary Society, 

 also offered an opinion on the portion of the original Pali work contain- 

 ed in the pamphlet, and the general inferences deduced therefrom in 

 the introduction, as much for the guidance of those who are incapable 

 of consulting the text, as to enable me to decide on the propriety of 

 proceeding in my present undertaking. 



I have the honor to be. 

 Sir, 



To the Secretary Your very obedient servant, 



to the Literary Society George Turnour. 



of Madras. 



The Reverend Bernhard Schmid informs us that he is occupied in 

 preparing for the press a Vocabulary of the language of that singular 

 people the Aborigines of the Neilgherry Hills, to which he invites 

 subscription. The well-known talents and erudition of this gentleman, 

 give assurance of a skilful execution of the project, and we hope a full 

 subscription list will give encouragement to the undertaking, which 

 ■will, probably, fall to the ground if not supported. 



Dr. Wight writes to us from the Pulney mountains, dated 15th Sep- 

 tember, 1836, as follows: — " I have added two excellent plants to my 

 collection, being such as we had reason to expect before, but never 

 found. I mean a Magnolia, the species still undetermined, and a 

 Circoea. I wonder if they exist on the Neilgherries and have been 

 overlooked"*. Our enterprizing correspondent further writes — 

 " I was yesterday on a very high peak, I fancy the highest of the 

 hills, which I make, from a single observation, about 7,618 feet above 

 Madras. That observation was perhaps not a very good one, as 

 the weather was awfully bad, myself and all the people with me being 

 nearly drowned with the heavy rain. The barometer stood at 23 inches, 

 the thermometer 18°. cent. I allowed time for the mercury to cool so 

 as to save the complexity of the double calculation for the detached 

 thermometer." 



* Perhaps Mr. Schmid, or some other botanical conespoucteiit orx the Kills, will ia« 

 form us.— Edixou. 



