410 Questions concerning the Jews of Malabar. [Oec. 
We have from his pen a work on the Geography of Africa. And with a vigour 
of intellect that may well call to our recollection the greatest of the Roman censors, 
he acquired at an advanced age a competent knowledge of Greek for consulting the 
early writers in that language, and gave to the world, The Geographical System of 
Herodotus, including the Expedition of Darius Hystaspes to Scythia ; T he Site 
of Babylon ; The Temple of Jupiter Ammon ; The Periplus of Africa, &c. ; and 
A Dissertation on the Locality of Troy. 
The attention of this great investigator of every thing connected with the surface 
of our globe, extended itself from mountains and plains to the waters of the ocean; 
and produced a most curious investigation of the currents prevalent in the Atlantic, 
and of accumulations caused by certain winds in the English channel. 
And lastly, I would mention a very ingenious mode of ascertaining distances, 
and connecting with their bearings the actual localities of spots in the Great Desert, 
by noting the average rate at which camels travel over those worlds of sand. 
This is a very imperfect catalogue of the works published by Major Rennell; 
and I am happy to add that several more, exist in manuscript, destined, we may 
hope, at no distant time, to appear. 
Major Rennell has been honoured by the Copley Medal from this Society ; by 
the Gold Medal from the Royal Society of Literature: he was a Corresponding 
Member of the Institute of France, and a Member of various other Societies. 
Our regret for such a man, exerting his intellectual powers with so much energy 
and to such useful purposes, throughout the course of a long life, and up to his 
eighty-eighth year, must always be strong and sincere; but we console ourselves 
with the reflection that he had attained the utmost ordinary limit of human life, 
amidst the respect and esteem of all who knew him, and that his memory is revered.” 
XIII. — Questions concerning the Jeivs of Malabar. 
The following questions have been submitted to the Asiatic Society by the Rev. 
H. H. Milman, M. A. who is well known to be engaged upon an elaborate history 
of the Jewish nation. Any correspondent who can supply information upon the 
various subjects of his enquiry, may either address their communications direct to 
that gentleman at Reading, or consign them to the Asiatic Society for transmission. 
1. Is the date of their migration to India in or about the year (according to 
their reckoning) 4250 (answering to A. C. 508) generally agreed upon ? 
2. Have they any Hebrew writings besides their copies of the Scriptures— if so, 
what is their nature ? 
3. Have they any religious traditions — and if so, in what respect do they hold 
them ? 
4. What hooks do their Scriptures contain ? more particularly have they the 
books of Ezra or Esther ? or any of those which we call the Apocryphal books. 3 
5. Have they any synagogue — if so, what is its form ? what is its reputed an- 
tiquity ? in what manner is the service conducted ? 
6. How is the community governed? by a religious or a civil head? by a 
Rabbi or a Magistrate ? 
7 . Have they any religious teachers ? what is their character and authority ? 
8. Has the mass of the people any knowledge of the Hebrew language ? Is R 
used among themselves for the purposes of commerce, or on any other occasions ? 
(It would be curious to ascertain whether, as is stated of the Chinese Jews, their 
Hebiew is infected with Persian idioms.) 
