1 837-] Historical Sketch of the Kingdom of Panchja. 145 



dered the specific country " Gude" was set aside, and the term Painty an 

 made an appellative (as it is truly is) and not & proper name. I was 

 not then so perfectly conscious that the appellative pdndyan should be 

 translated " an ancient :" it was the Telugu language in which pant a as 

 an adjective for old is familiarly common, which first brought the cir- 

 cumstance to my notice. In Tamil that word is now obsolete, thought 

 formerly in common use. I must add my conviction that the manu- 

 script in question, as a compilation by a Christian servant of Colonel 

 Mackenzie, has no claims to be regarded as an authority ; but as the 

 proof of this position could only arise from a translation of this MS* 

 and also of the Chola Desa Purvika Cheriira, by the same writer, I 

 must rest that position for the present only on my own assertion. I 

 regret that my very innocent use of the word " information" should 

 have been construed into an " assumption — implying it is to be inferred 

 verbal information it is properly the inference that is " gratuitous and 

 mistaken," seeing that the assumption was never made. I had atten- 

 tively read the Introduction to the Descriptive Catalogue, and could not 

 but be aware of the statements contained p. xviii— xxi, quite sufficient 

 to prevent any idea of the author's depending on mere verbal statements. 

 I have yet to learn that the word " information" used in the Prefatory- 

 Notice to the 2d vol. O. H. MSS. is limited to verbal information ; but if 

 the inference were in any measure founded on what appears in vol. 2. 

 p. 63., then I can appeal to that whole paragraph ; borne out as it can 

 be shewn to be by the Introduction and Catalogue : and, conscious of in- 

 ward rectitude, and outward substantial accurac}^ would solicit the Pro- 

 fessor not to be needlessly annoyed by differences of opinion, which in 

 the fair fields of literature when candidly and openly stated, are never 

 considered to be censurable ; but I expressly recall the words " verbal 

 accounts of natives" in p. 63. because, without any allusion to that page, 

 Professor Wilson has contradicted it indirectly, as if implied by the 

 word " information" in the Introduction. That " the translations were 

 the work as frequently of European as of native scholars as specified in 

 the list attached to the sketch," is, most candidly speaking, not borne 

 out by that list, wherein out of twenty-eight documents, the names of 

 only one European translator is given, that is to say the name of 

 R. Clarke, Esq. I readily add Mr. Wheatley as a second (though a 

 slight inaccuracy is involved) ; for the rest either no names, or the 

 names of natives, strictly such, appear. Now I trust the Professor will 

 consider me not uncandid, when I make no comment on this discrepan- 

 cy ; but I must further add that in the Introduction to the Des : Cat: 

 p. xxi, it is stated— " with a very few exceptions the translations are 

 the work of natives alone." I bow with extreme deference to the name 

 and authority of R. Clarke, Esq. who was here one of the best Tamil 



