436 



Miscellanea. 



[Oct. 



ther with a number of new and legible copies on palm-leave.% 

 transcripts of the original books. The whole illustrates history, 

 mythology, poetry, manners and modes of opinion : all, as I think, 

 very desirable to be made generally known. I have about one- 

 third of the matter, selected by me, yet to go through ; and, though 1 

 have begun to translate only in a limited degree, yet it seems to me, 

 that the whole of the matter in my possession ought to be examined 

 before extensive translation is vigorously entered upon. There are 

 also other documents in the Library of the Literary Society, indicated 

 by me at the commencement of this letter, as secondary ; these ought 

 not to be neglected. 



How to act does not appear to me at present very plain. I have 

 been enabled to give so much time to the matter ; and I have not scru- 

 pled the expense thus far incurred. I am a solitary individual, engag- 

 ed in this voluminous affair ; and feel my loneliness. At one time, as I 

 mentioned to you, I thought your Journal might be a suitable vehicle 

 for the publication of some portions of these manuscripts. Such I still 

 think may be the case, as regards the lighter and more desultory por- 

 tions ; but the larger, and more important, parts are of a magnitude and 

 character, to which your Journal is quite inadequate, under any cir- 

 cumstances ; and more especially as a section only of its contents 

 could, with general acceptance, be so occupied. I have contemplated 

 an additional series of Oriental Historical Manuscripts ; but adequate 

 reasons exist to deter me from incurring the risk of the heavy loss that 

 might be the consequence. In a word, I must contemplate nothing 

 decisive, for the present, and wait for some further direction : indeed 

 there is much yet to be done before translation need be made a mat- 

 ter of urgent consideration. 



Having lately been occupied with some enquiries connected with the 

 islands of the eastern Archipelago, I was hence led, more than by any 

 other consideration, to take up a Tamil palm-leaf manuscript from the 

 Mackenzie collection, entitled by professor Wilson in his catalogue, 

 and on the label of the book itself, Marava-Jathi-Vernanam ; being, as its 

 own proper title imports, on account of the local subdivisions and man- 

 ners of the tribe of Maravas, at the extreme point of the peninsula. I 

 suspected a co-incidence in some customs with those of natives of 

 Java and Sumatra ; and on carefully translating the document find the 

 expectation not wholly erroneous. It is totally worthless, in any his- 

 torical point of view j but is of that lighter kind, which I have suppos- 

 ed might suit your Journal. I shall accordingly transmit it to you, to 

 await your pleasure : prefixing to it a slight historical sketch by way 

 of introduction.* 



I remain, Sir, 



Your obliged, and very faithful servant, 

 August 27th, 1836, W. Taylor, 



* Inserted at page 350,— Ed, 



