INTRODUCTION. 
A COPY of the following Work, which was transmitted to 
the Directors of the East India Company, having been placed in 
their Library, Mr. Wilkins, who has charge of that valuable 
Institution, thought that its publication might be useful, and re- 
commended that measure to the patronage of the Court ; which, 
with great liberality, consented to his request, and encouraged 
the undertaking by a large subscription. Accordingly, in the 
end of the year 1805 an agreement was made with some respect- 
able booksellers. Soon afterwards, my duty having unexpectedly 
brought me to England, I was agreeably surprised to find that 
my Journal had obtained a reception so favourable. It is true, 
I wished to have abridged the Work before publication, and 
altered its arrangement ; but as the printing had commenced 
before my arrival, and as my stay in England was likely to be 
very short, I could not undertake such alterations. I have, 
therefore, contented myself with revising the manuscript ; and 
the superintendency of the press has been entrusted to Mr. 
Stephen Jones. I hope, however, that the Index will enable the 
reader to understand the greater part of the Indian terms, and 
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