VI 
PREFACE. 
cannot support two monthly*, and one Quarterly Journal on general 
science ; while India, or rather Bengal, with a reading public of little 
more than 2000, has one. We do not here speak of course of the 
value of the respective publications, but of the encouragement ; which 
indeed appears the more laudable, as it is given rather with the view 
of fostering a puny effort, than with that of receiving any new stores of 
information, or of adding any very valuable accession to our knowledge. 
But while we disclaim the arrogance of affecting an equality with 
the English journals, we may yet be permitted to claim for some of the 
papers in the Gleanings some little consideration. To particularize 
would be invidious; w r e shall, therefore, merely say, that we think 
some of the articles in this first volume are of real merit, and would 
be very welcome contributions even at home; while a majority of them 
do not yield in interest to the average quality of those we find in the 
journals there. We may fairly claim the merit of having rescued 
from oblivion or destruction many, if not all, of these ; nor do we 
doubt but we shall, in the succeeding volume, add to their number. 
Although the knowledge we had of the existence of many such 
short papers in the portfolios of the curious in India, (often on sub- 
jects inaccessible to research in Europe,) and the hope of embalming 
them in print, was not without its share in our inducement for pro- 
jecting the work; yet it w'as by no means the only motive, nor even 
the principal one by which we were influenced. Our views were, in 
fact, less directed to add any very interesting contributions to the 
general stock of science, than by a periodical discussion of various 
subjects of more or less interest, to foster, if possible, and spread a 
taste for those pursuits; and to furnish, occasionally, assistance to the 
student or beginner in a country where, as in India, he must have so 
many d.flicult.es to contend with. Scattered over so extensive a sur- 
lace, our numbers so scant, and our intercourse so limited, with books 
" b °* “ c ° st and carria g e ; it requires some effort, and 
Uuated tok ° f . pmdence ’ fOT ^ut those most favorably 
“ L 'l 7, UP - r lmPr ° Ve any little ^aintance they may ori- 
Se Z ^ ^ SUb j. eCtS ' U Was that bv establish- 
ctdt es occ^n t0 ° ne anotller various diffi- 
occumng m our pursuit of any enquiry, the new views which 
Md A “ naIs °f Mosoph y , wUch have merged 
nals published T1 “ >re doubtless any Jom- 
addressed to particular classes.' ^The !t " to r art >cular subjects, or are 
ral science, and addressed to ilJ. °'f ^ ’ ‘l° nly 3 0urmils devoted to gene- 
ral science, and addressed to the „ 1 ' e are 1 ie only journals devoted to genc- 
Learned Societies volumes of Transactions of 
Dublin, the second city in the empire could nr i ° WC ° Ur share in Calcutta, 
published only once in six months ’ su PPort a journal of science, though 
