how infinitely important is the truth. Let then the claims of each be examined, and the advocates of each be heard; but let us not gag reason, nor be afraid of discovering the truth.

We would think that this was enough of absurdity, but the managers are not content. The teachers are forbidden to suffer any practices inconsistent with the Hindu notions of propriety; and again, in rule 36, it is provided, "that such books as may injure the morals of the pupils, cannot be allowed to be brought, taught, or read, in the College." Of course the Puránas, which are considered sacred, do not fall under the class of immoral books. And yet what is more indecent, more immoral, more hurtful to the modesty and to the morals of youth than the Puránas? Beside, of what use are all the history, and literature, and science of Europe, if not to change the principles and practices prescribed in the Hindu religion? Why is the library, with all its stores of heterodox sentiments, thrown open to the first five classes? Why are Paley's works and Scott's Bible admitted into the library, when they contain sentiments so diametrically opposed to those of Hinduism? Why affect such concern for the preservation of the Hindu faith, and yet put weapons in the hands of boys that must inevitably destroy it? Why, whilst Scott and Paley are allowed to be read, are the teachers with admirable consistency prohibited from making any reference to the subject of religion? Is it supposed that all the scholars will leave the college, if religion be mentioned? Why, is it not notorious, that the Assembly's School, which professedly teaches the minutest details of Christianity, has more scholars than the Hindu College? and is it not equally notorious, that the young man who conducts the Mirzapur Mission School, though a Native Christian, and therefore abhorred by all "good Hindus," has notwithstanding 200 children sent to him by those very Hindus for instruction. The utter absurdity of such fears is most apparent, as well as the more than uselessness of the rules of the sapient Committee.

I, Mr. Editor, would advise the managers to resort to other measures if they would support the credit and respectability of their college, and learn to be just and tolerant, instead of being bigotted and tyrannical, which they unquestionably are in attempting to fetter the natural rights and liberties of the teachers.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,
R.

*We propose to take up this subject in our next No. It is plain, that the managers have acted very injudiciously in reviving obsolete rules, which the present state of public feeling will not bear. If they are not immediately rescinded, to which we hope on consideration the Committee will consent, the European gentlemen connected with it are bound in justice to themselves to withdraw the countenance, which their silence now affords, to proceedings so arbitrary.-ED.]

VII.-Chapter of Indian Correspondence.

I. TRIBES AND DIALECTS OF THE NORTH EAST OF BENGAL [We have the pleasure to present our readers with the first No. of our promised selections from letters treating of the religion, literature, language, and moral state of the people of Upper India. We particularly request their attention to the interesting information furnished by two of our correspondents respecting the Assamís tribes. Missionary labours were long looked upon with scorn or suspicion by intelligent and well informed men: but the tide is now turning in their favour. We do not despair of seeing the day, when native princes, like the African chief, will write to their English friends, to buy them a Missionary.' The demand for education must increase: and who is there to meet it? Who will exile himself from civilized society, to labour in the irksome and painful toil of teaching and compiling Alphabets and Primers, of battling with ignorance and bigotry, and suiting himself to the caprices, or bearing with the rudeness and barbarism, of savage despots, stupid or ill-trained children, and tribes but one step above the brutes? The time will come, and that speedily, when the services of the teacher will be well paid; but now, if he labours, it must be without regard to money, and again we ask, what motives, but those of a Missionary, will induce men to labour on such terms? It is the answer to this question that gives the establishment of Christian schools, a place among the foremost in the field of Missionary duty. When fit persons shall take charge of our schools, we return to a more direct and congenial department of our work; that of preaching the gospel to every living creature. But when we read such statements as are given under our 1st and 3rd heads, we feel ourselves called on in the providence of God, to put our hands to the wheel. We had marked more for extraction, but cannot find room this month.-ED.] Sadiyah, N. E. Extremity of Assam, 8th July, 1834.

"I had the pleasure of receiving yours of the 19th June, yesterday evening, along with 11 Burmese books. I lost no time, but rode over to the Sa diyah Kawah, and presented him with four of them. The Jowgohain of Derack was there on a visit. They both very eagerly seized hold of thə books and commenced reading; after they had amused themselves for some time, I asked them what it was all about. They said about " God," but that they could not properly understand it, and that it would require study. I saw that they could read it but slowly, and understood only a little here and there of what they read.

"I then asked him to write out some Singpho words; he commenced and spent much time in writing; but it was so blotted, that he was ashamed to send it. I then got the Jowgohain to try his hand, but he made no better fist of it. As it was then dark, I was obliged to leave them. The Jowgohain promised to call on me to-day, and write out something fair; but in this he has broken his promise, so that part of your commission must be left to be forwarded by next dawk. The Sadiyah Kawah promised to send me a fine large book, but he could not get it, I suppose, for it is not come as yet.

"As to the other part of the commissions, we have succeeded better. Mrs. B. and I got hold of a Merí, and she has been employed the whole day in writing out a few words: these people are half savages, and very dull of comprehension; however, I hope what few words have been got will be acceptable to your friend. We can send you some more if wanted."

Sadiyah, July 18, 1834.

"I have now the pleasure of sending you a book that the Sadiyah Kawah sent me for you, and I hope it is just the kind you wanted. I also send a few words of Singpho and English, which I promised in my last. You say that you wish all these people to learn to read and write the Burmese ; now do you not think it would be the shortest way to send two or three intelligent young men, Missionaries (with which Calcutta abounds), up to this place and let them learn the Shan language? In the course of two or three years they would most probably be able to translate some of our simple

books into that language, which would diffuse a good deal of useful knowledge amongst them. When they had mastered the language they might translate the Scriptures*. They, or in fact any one else, would sooner read any thing in their own language than take the trouble to learn the Burmese. A finer field for the Missionaries than this I suppose there is not in any part of India. I have often thought of writing the Bishop this, but never could muster courage enough, not knowing how to write to such a person, and not knowing how it might be received from such a one as I. A recommendation of this kind coming from you would be received with better grace.”

Gowahutty, 27th July, 1834.

"I send you an acknowledgment by the Sadiyah Kawah Gohain, of the receipt of the Burmese books you were so good as to give me. I suspect that the principal difficulty the Khámtis meet with, is from their being unaccustomed to the printed character, and to so small a character; for the MSS. of these people are written on too expensive a scale to be imitated in print. I have no doubt that if they had some elementary books, they would soon be able to read and understand pure Burmese readily. They all understand it colloquially. But Mr. Bruce says, they require Siamis books are any procurable in Calcutta? Will you have the kindness to send me a copy of Captain Low's Siamese Grammar. My friends at Sadiya may be able to make some use of it. Mrs. B. has devoted a great deal of time to teaching the natives at Sadiyah, and she boasts of having made some four or five converts, whom she has taught English; and I shall be happy to be able to further her pursuits. I should be obliged also for Mr. Hough's Burmese Vocabulary.

"I send you a list of Merit words, which Mrs. B. has kindly made for me. Perhaps it may serve as a clue to some of the linguists in Calcutta to trace the dialect to its root. There was, I think, circulated some years ago, a list of 4 or 500 English words, with blank columns, for the insertion of words of foreign and unusual languages. If any such are now procurable, I should be very glad to get some to distribute to the different officers on this frontier, whom I would request to make such collections as they could, of the numerous dialects spoken near them. The great object would be to have translations of the same English words from all parts of the country, and if there are none ready printed, probably at your suggestion, some one of the Societies in Calcutta would undertake to strike off for distribution a few hundred vocabularies, with blank spaces. My friend Captain Wilkinson could in his quarter fill up a half dozen with different dialects, if not languages.

"I have to thank you for the Lists of School Books, one of which I beg to return, and I will be thankful by your ordering for me those I have marked."

Gowahutty, Aug. 7, 1834.

"I am now enabled to send you a small sample of Singpho words, which may suffice perhaps to show a linguist of what stock their dialect is. Mr. Bruce says the book I sent you was written in the Siamís language.

"I take the liberty of sending you his last letter, that you may observe how earnest he is in his desire to have a Missionary in his neighbourhood. I am sure a Missionary might do great good there, if a well educated man,

The New Testament has been already translated into Siamís; and there are now several Missionaries at Bankok, one of whom, the Rev. Mr. Jones, is well qualified to proceed with the translation of the Old Testament, if, as we believe, it is not yet

executed.

+ The Meri and Abor languages are said by Mr. B. to be the same.

Some friends of Education connected with the OBSERVER, have resolved to act upon this valuable suggestion.

as regards general information in the arts and sciences. I believe our Missionaries in Ava found the Buddhists by no means intractable, and that their success was only thwarted by political parties. Nothing of the kind would oppose their progress at Sadiyah, though I am sorry to say that Brahminism has crept up so far with our troops, and has rendered the Khamtís more superstitious than they were. But, as I think I have before mentioned, the Singphos are mostly not even Buddhists, and the Meris, and Abors, and Mishmís are also free from all taint of Hindu superstition. I think it was of the Cacharís that I have heard the anecdote you mention, as being discontented with their gods*; these are still for the greater part without any organized religion, that is without a priesthood. I believe the half converted Cachárís and all the half converted Ahoms, with the Mattocks (people of the Moamariya country) are only kept in bounds of caste by dread of their superiors and the Brahmins; in fact they all know little about

caste.

"The ruling people here (as everywhere else,) the Ahoms, were on the conversion of the Rájá, made Rájputs, the Culitahs were dubbed Khaits, and other tribes kept up something like the gradation of castes in the west: but of course their caste is not admitted by western people.

"Nothing troubles a bigotted Bengáli Hindu, so much as the certain knowledge that caste is, where it has not existed from all eternity. When you tell him the Assamís have been converted (conversion they won't allow) since Aurungzeb's accession to the throne; that the Cacháris and Manipuris have been converted within the memory of man; and that the Rájá (Gambhir) made Rájputs any day of favorite Naga slaves ;-he pretends to disallow the assertion; but, being a matter of fact easily demonstrated, he can be convinced, and thence it is easy to persuade him that the people of Bengal themselves were also only savages converted by the influx of the western Brahmins, and that the whole ordination of castes was a simultaneous imposition on the inhabitants of Bengal following that event, and no more of divine or eternal origin than in Assam, or the last converted kingdom Manipur. Facts of this kind might, I think, be advantageously dwelt upon; they must upset the belief in Brahminism, or shake it greatly."

II. ON HINDU ASTRONOMY.

"You press upon me the undertaking the illustration of the three systems of Geography and Astronomy, viz. the European, Pauránik, and Jyotishik, as if you anticipated a refusal. So far am I from feeling any indisposition to undertake the task, that I would set about it to-day, had I my Bhagwat and other books and means at hand. But these are all at Kotá. Some months ago, I gave my Shastrí leave of absence to visit his home at Nagpur-he is a splendid pauránik and law pandit, though ignorant of the Hindu astronomy. Indeed you can seldom if ever meet with a man in this part of the country acquainted with both departments. My astronomer, the best in Ujain-an old casual acquaintance of the learned Dr. Hunter, died a few days ago at Ujain, whither he proceeded a few months ago, before I started into the district. On my return to Kotá however, I shall easily be able to find others to supply their places. I will then send you what you require, executed to the utmost of my ability. I feel however so much diffidence in bringing before the public any thing, even a school

The story referred to is as follows. Shortly after the establishment of our Government in that quarter, the people presented a petition to Mr. Scott, then Governor General's Agent, to the effect that they were tired of their gods, as they found they were of no use to them, and should be obliged to Mr. Scott to help them to the knowledge of a better! It is said also that the common people in Assam are in the habit of going out into the jungle at night to take a good meal of animal food, not daring to do so openly.

book, especially on a subject in which my own knowledge is so imperfect that I shall not venture I fear to put down any thing till I have satisfied myself of its correctness.

"The chapter on the globes in Bhaskar Achárjya's book requires a previous knowledge of their whole system, and a good and clear head, to understand it thoroughly. So imperfect is my own knowledge of the subject, that, on giving my astronomical friends their leave on quitting Kotá, I brought out my Euclid and Bridge's Trigonometry, that I might during my absence in the district refresh my knowledge, now grown rusty, on the subjects on which they treat. The display of these intricacies of the subject is, I am well aware, not by any means required by you for the illustrations, but the knowledge of them is required to enable me thoroughly to understand Bhaskar Achárya; and without a thorough knowledge of him, I shall feel a reluctance to attempt to illustrate his opinions. But what you have proposed will suit my taste exactly. Indeed it was with a design of promoting the end you have in view, that I asked you to get the map of the Hindu globes printed. As such a map is little required in Calcutta, where all the population are on the high road to the top of the hill of science, I anticipated that you might object to the publication as useless. Up here however, and in the interior generally, it will be of infinite use in bringing back peoples' attention from the trash of the Púráns towards what is sound and true.

I long to be back at Kotá to take the subject in hand. The cause of truth warms a man to undertake any labours. The general very delicate state of my health, which prohibits my continuing any close mental application for more than an hour at a time, is what has been my ruin. To go through a long train of elucidation of a difficult proposition, in which sines, cosines, and versed sines, &c. and the ratios of each to each, are to be borne in mind, requires a degree of attention, considering that the Hindus seldom have recourse to diagrams, which is at no time easy to an indifferent mathematician, and with me immediately brings on a headache.

"I have not got Bentley's Hindu Astronomy; and if it contains more than his very excellent articles published in the Asiatic Researches on the subject, I shall be much obliged to you for the book. I have written today to my brother for Strachey's Algebra.

"Will you print the drawings of the globes immediately, or wait for the illustrations? Take care that the meridian lines in the celestial maps, passing through the several degrees of the ecliptic, are not made to pass through the corresponding degrees of the equinoctial. The Hindus perfectly understand the fact and the reason, why the longitude and right ascension of a celestial body are not the same. A draftsman of Col.

of the engineer department made two beautiful skeleton maps for me, but from not understanding this matter he spoiled them. I was consequently obliged to send you my own rough sketches, which though ill executed, are correct.

"Do you know T? and is he now in Calcutta? He is a man well qualified to assist you in promoting education. But the generality of those best qualified to promote this object, are also the best and now the hardest worked servants of the Government. Some of them again prefer seeking a name for themselves by publishing their information in a form adapted to European taste, to labouring in the lower, though more useful departments. Good practical labourers in the field of education are therefore very rare."

"The maps in Hindi and Persian last received are what I alluded to, and what I before got some dozen copies of, but had distributed all before I got