184 
Hindustani Synonimes of Plants. 
[[June 
author, and to have given the additions by Dr. Wallich in a separate form. 
At present it is by no means easy to form a precise idea of the extent 
or importance of Dr. Roxburgh’s labours. Every page we open contains ad- 
ditions and corrections by N. W., and these letters haunt the reader to such 
a degree, that he thinks the best part, if not the whole of the work, must be 
by the same hand. This is surely a fault. But a more serious objection to the 
course pursued is to be found in the great bulk to which it has swelled the work, 
and the unheard-of delay that has occurred in its publication ; occasioning its com- 
pletion to be deferred to such a late period, that much of the original interest and 
value of it have passed away. The more obvious plan of publishing the original 
matter in the separate form of a text, with the additions as a commentary, 
would have obviated this and other inconveniences ; while it would have given a 
better idea of what Dr. Roxburgh had done, and of what his successor has been 
able to add to his labours. 
We trust we do not, in these remarks, transgress the bounds of that respect which 
in common with all who are interested in the progress of science we feel for the 
justly celebrated editors of this work. We have taken upon ourselves to give 
utterance to complaints which we have heard repeated from every quarter ; but 
we trust, in doing so, we have not forgotten how much Indian science owes 
to them. That the public would even yet prefer seeing a complete copy of 
Roxburgh’s work, as left by him, is, we think, certain ; but that the present 
Editor would be justified in giving any weight to our opinion on the subject, we do 
not pretend to say. Enquiry might, however, furnish more secure grounds of 
decision. 
We perceive by the proceedings of the Horticultural Society, that Mr. Tottie 
meditates the publication of a Hortus Orientalis. This work lias evidently been 
prompted, we think, by the delay in the publication of the Flora Indica, of which 
we have just been complaining. We think that such a work would be well re- 
ceived, notwithstanding the threatened reappearance of the latter work. The 
public have been so tantalised with regard to the latter, that we apprehend they 
now take little interest in the announcement, maugre the acknowledged talents 
and high botanical attainments of its Editors. We recommend Mr. Tottie to per- 
severe in his undertaking, or at least to take the sense of the public on the subject, 
by circulating his prospectus and subscription book. As far as our limited cir- 
culation may enable us, we shall be happy to assist, by publishing any notice of 
his plan he may think proper to favour us with. 
Vie are happy to see that in consequence of the praiseworthy exertions of the 
Medical and Physical Society we are to have a new edition of the Hortus Benga- 
iensis. It has been hitherto a reproach to our Botanic Garden, and to those under 
whose management it is placed, that no list of the plants which grow there is 
accessible to the public, the old edition of the Hortus having been long out of 
print. 
I he following vocabulary having been drawn up for general use, the orthoepy 
rather than the orthography of each word has been consulted. For the same 
reason, provincial, and even vulgar pronunciations are admitted, each having the 
systematic name assigned, however numerous the synonimes may be, instead 
of being all referred to one common term, a plan less convenient to the 
reader. Amongst them will in general be found however the correctly spel- 
led word, and it was intended at one time to distinguish it by a difference of type, 
but it was found that such an improvement would consume too much time and 
delay the publication beyond the regular period. 
The reader by recollecting the following particulars will easily find a word in this 
vocabulary. The system of spelling is that hitherto used in the Gleanings, viz. 
oir W. Jones’s. In this system the vowels sound as follows : 
A a . ^ e £ i i o 6 u 
America- bar bet there fit seen not used bone foot 
a tie consonants have all their most usual sounds in English, and the same 
nant always the sanie sound. C, before whatever vowel, sounds like k ; c.« u«. 
ch in cherry ; c,h like kk in ink-horn ; k sounds like eh in the Scotch word loch , 
01 gh in the Irish lough , G is always hard ; g/i the guttural of the Arabs, and 
equivalent to the Northumbrian burr. The Arabic caf marked in Gilchrist’s sys- 
tem as a q, has not been been attempted to be discriminated, 
ifnrf ' vlll / urt J ier not ? tbat st and a and a, are considered distinct sounds, 
the fnr m o a T habetic arrangement he must seek the latter after not among 
iurmer * with the other vowel sounds the accented bein»- divided from 
fi 
fool 
conso- 
ch like 
