Retrofpec? of Domeftic Literature—Oriental Literature. 
that moft of our readers will feel the fame 
gratification that we did, on being made 
acquainted wirh the collegiate ftudies, we 
make no apology for tranfcribing the fol- 
lowing concife account of them:—it is 
enacted, that ‘* Profefforfhips fhall be ef- 
tablithed as foon as may be practicable, 
and regular courfes of lectures commenced 
in the following branches of literature, 
fcience, andknowledge:—Arabic, Perfian, 
Sanfereet, Hinduftance, Bengal, Telinga, 
Mahratta, Tamula, Canara languages.— 
Mahommedan Law, Hindu Law.—Ethics, 
Civil Jurifprudence, and the Law of Na- 
tions.—Englifh Law.—The regulations 
and laws enacted by the governor-gene- 
ral in council, or by the governors in 
council at Fort St. George and Bombay, 
refpectively, for the civil government of 
the Britith territories in India,:—Politi- 
cal economy, and particularly the com- 
mercial inftitution and interefts of. the 
Eaft India. Company.—Geography and 
mathematics. —Modern language of Eu- 
rope.—Greek, Latin, and Enelifh claf- 
fics. General hiftory, ancient and mo- 
dern.—The hiftory and antiquities of , 
Hinduftan and the Deccan.—Natural. hif- 
tory.—Botany, chemiftry, and aftrono- 
my.” Publicexaminations are occafionally 
held, from which it appears that the ftu- 
dents have already made confiderable pro- 
grefs in their refpective purfuits. 
Sir W1ILLiAM OUSELEY, notwithftand- 
ing that \his fair and honeft expectations 
have been difappointed of that patronage 
which the Eaft India Company would have 
done themfelyes honour in extending to- 
wards every gentleman who devotes his 
‘ time and talents to fubjects connected with 
the literature and antiquities of thofe 
wide-{pread poflefions from which their, 
wealth is derived, has ventured to tranflate, 
from a manufcript in his own poflefiion, 
collated with one preferved in the library 
at Eton College, “* The Oriental Geogra- 
phy of Ebn Haukal, an ArabianTraveller , 
of the tenth Century.” Ebn Haukal is 
efteemed the father of Oriental geography: 
he was a great traveller, and is fuppofed 
to have vifited moft of the countries which 
he defcribes ; his work, therefore, though 
from its manner not the moft entertaining, 
is highly valuable, and, as a book of refe- 
rence, may be fafely depended upon. The 
author fir explains his plan; gives a 
curfory—very curlory—deicription of the 
countries and feas which li¢é within its 
range, and then enters into a brief—very 
brief—account of Arabia, Abyffinia, the 
Weft of Africa, Egypt, and Syria: the 
chief part of this publication is dedicated 
587 
toPerfa, and the furrounding fates. Ebn 
Haukal himflf ftates his defign in the 
compofition of his book to have been the 
defcription of the various climates and re- 
gions of the face of the earth, comprifed 
within the circle of Iilam or Mahommedan- 
ifm; and the delineation on maps of the 
various feas or oceans which furround the 
Jand; the inhabited and defert iflands; 
and every climate or region of the earth; 
‘¢ affixing the name of each, fo that it may 
be known in the maps, and confining our- 
felves (he continues) to thofe countries 
which are the feat of Iflam, and the refi- 
dence of true believers.” Thefe maps, 
however, which, in all probability would 
‘have afforded {ome important illuftrations 
of Eaftern geography, unfortunately were 
not in Sir William’s manwfcript;, and the 
map which he has prefixed to his tranfla- 
tion, entitled ‘“¢ A General Map to illuf- 
trate Sir William Oufcley’s Tranflation of 
the Oriental Geography of Eba Haukal,’? 
afferds a mere outline of the general divi- 
fion of Afia, and the fituations of a few 
principal cities, derived from the mate-« 
rials afforded by European geographers, 
Sir William Oufeley mentions, that, find- 
ing his notes on feveral paffazes {well under 
his hands more than he at firtt expeSted, 
he has referved them for another work on 
«¢ ‘The Geography: of the Afiatics, deriv- 
ed from numereus Oriental Writers, and 
illuftrated with Maps :” exprefling his 
hopes that the prefent publication may 
prove acceptable. to the Orientalift, the 
Antiquarian, and the Geographer, he con- 
cludes his preface ina manner which re- 
fleXs no common difgrace on the opulent 
commercial Company of the Eaft.—“ The 
refult ({ays he) of my former labours has 
taught me to expect no other recompence 
than praife, and the hopes of fub/tantial 
pront have been extinguithed by fucceffive 
difappointments.”—We can only expre(s 
our regret at the fhameful neglect. which 
Sir William Oufeley has already fuffered, 
and our hope that one more may be added 
to the number of his difappointments, 
namely, that he may receive a generous 
and {ubftantial patronage from the public. 
Dr. Hacer has publifhed a work, al- 
moft of unrivalled fplendour, and whofe 
ulefulnefs will be equally extenfive in a 
commercial and literary point of view: 
itis ** An Explanation of the Elementary 
Characters of the Chinefe, with an Ana. 
lyfis of their Ancient Symbols and Hiero.- 
glyphics.”? Dr. Hager, in this uncom- 
monly valuable performance, after advert. 
ing to the fingularity of the circumitance, 
that, whilft the Phenician, Etrufcan, and 
Egyptian 
