282 
Literary Intelligence , Sfc. 
[No. 3 , 
Literary Intelligence, and Correspondence. 
Dr. Sprenger writes from Berne to the President , in a letter dated 
Only 28 th. 
“ I am approaching the end of my investigations regarding Mu¬ 
hammad, and after their conclusion I will try whether my eyes, 
which are still very weak, will permit me to complete my transla¬ 
tion of Maqdisy. I have seen Mr. Raverty’s four works, which you 
probably know. They are very creditable. The Dictionary is very 
full and 1 have no doubt as complete as it is desirable. The circum¬ 
stances under which it has been compiled give it all the value of a 
work done by a native, and we may rely upon it that every word has 
the signification which he assigns to it. I have examined the Per¬ 
sian and Arabic part with care and find them very well done. The 
purely Pushto part is naturally still better. His selections are so 
full that we may say it is the harvest of Afghan literature and not 
merely gleanings. I had an opportunity to examine the collection 
of Pushto MSS. which was made by Hafiz Rahmat Khan and is now 
preserved at Lucknow, and I find that Raverty knows every work of 
value, though he had not access to that library. The print is clear 
and correct which naturally enhances the value of the book. The 
grammar is already known to the Indian public. It is very well 
calculated for the use of young officers. The translation of mystical 
verses of the Afghans may be useful for the student of the lan¬ 
guage, as he finds the original texts in the selections. I hope you 
will give a very favourable review of our friend’s labours in the 
journal. 
Of great use for India may eventually be the pursuits of Professor 
Brockhaus. After having devoted much attention to the system of 
transcribing oriental languages in Roman characters, he is proceed¬ 
ing to publish Yusof o Zalykha romanized, and it is to be hoped that 
the attempt will be followed by other works. Hitherto Missionaries 
and men like Trevelyan, who were not so much distinguished as 
scholars as they were as public minded officers, have pleaded for the 
propriety of romanizing, whilst scholars pronounced themselves 
rather against it. It is a new era for oriental pursuits if a man of 
the standing of Professor Brockhaus engages in a system, whose 
