3° L'intensité de lumière solaire comparée à la lumière diffuse (à l'ombre); succession et variation des saisons.

§ VIII.

DES TRADITIONS HISTORIQUES, REVOLUTIONS POLITIQUES ET ANTiquities.

Il faudra rechercher d'abord quels sont chez un peuple les souvenirs qu'il a conservés de son origine et de ses affinités avec d'autres peuples; quelles sont les révolutions qu'il a éprouvées dans sa langue ou dans ses mœurs, dans les arts et dans les sciences, dans sa richesse, sa puissance ou son gouvernement, pardes causes internes ou des invasions étrangères. Quelles sont les sources où l'on peut puiser les instruction demándèes ? Sont-ce des documens historiques ou des monumens de l'arts ? Dans le premier cas, ces documens sont-ils consignés dans des poèmes ou dans des ouvrages purement historiques? 11 serait fort heureux de pouvoir en donner une idée.

Dans le second cas, il sera nécessaire de donner un dessin et une description pour les parties qui l'exigent, des édifices monnaies dont on peut tirer quelque fruit pour la solution des questions proposées.

Cherchez dans les traditions mythologiques tout ce qui se rapporte à l'histoire du pays.

Quelles sont les opinions des naturels sur la cosmogonie; quel est leur système de chronologie; et jusqu'à quelle époque remonte-t-elle ?.

N.B.-The Secretary begs to recommend the above 'Instructions' to the attention of members of the Society, whose position throws them into communications with any of the tribes and races in Central India, or on the frontiers whose distinctive characteristics are so strongly pronounced, as is generally the case with those semi-barbarous people. The consideration of thes septs with reference to the several attributes as noted by Dr. Edwards, would form a highly interesting and useful study. The Secretary has been fortunate enough to recover among some papers, recently sent to the Society's rooms, an essay on the principles of Ethnology by Dr. Woods, a corresponding member of the Parisian Ethnological

Society. This is placed at the disposal of the Editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society, for early publication.

With reference to the request of Dr. Edwards of Paris, 'for Heads of the Indian races' to serve as aid to his studies in Ethnology, the Secretary suggested a collection of Grant's Heads,' should be forwarded, but Dr. Spry had already anticipated him, and it was resolved to refer the Letter to Professor O'Shaughnessy to ascertain if'Casts' were not available from the native modeller in his employ.

The Secretary informed the meeting that a Circular,' by desire of the Governor General, has been issued by Dr. Pearson, for contributions of subjects of Natural History for enriching the Barrackpore Menagerie, the Zoological Society and the East India Company's Museum.

The Secretary noticed that a Sanscrit work was laid by Baboo Sooruj Narain Roy before the Society. It was resolved that it be referred to Dr. Hæberlin for examination, and report of the merits of the publication in question.

For the presentations and contributions, the thanks of the Society were accorded.

NOTE. I received too late for No. 110 the following Addenda to the paper on Arracan, by Dr. SPRY, which was published in my last.

"Since I sent you this I have heard from Captain "Lumsden that his labours in sinking two shafts for “Coal (Arracan) were arrested at the depth of 19 and

66

16 feet respectively, by the influx of water; and that "there was reason to believe that at the time the ope"rations were stopped the stratum had very nearly been 'pierced. It also appears that I was mistaken in be"lieving that adequate funds are not placed at the dis'posal of the authorities for prosecuting Coal disco"very."

66

JOURNAL

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY.

Of the early History of Sindh, from the "Chuch Namuh" and other authorities. By LIEUT. POSTANS, Assist. Pol. Agent, Shikarpore.

[My able correspondent, Lieut. Postans, has been for some time perseveringly employed in tracing out whatever material is available in Sindh, for the purpose of throwing light upon its early history. A book called the "Chuch Namuh," is the principal authority to which he has had recourse in preparing the historical sketch, which he has enabled me to have the satisfaction of publishing. Both he and Capt. Hart (2d Grenadiers, Bombay army) who has been turning his attention to similar pursuits, despair of discovering any more authentic work bearing upon the early history of Sindh, and agree in describing the modern Sindhees as so illiterate and apathetic, as neither to have the will, nor the power to further their researches. I still, however, do not despair of the recovery of other authorities, as the country becomes better known to us.

In the mean time, Lieut. Postans has ably and successfully availed himself of all the material at his disposal, which, dating from the Mussulman inroads, may be fairly considered as authentic. The short notice of the history of Sindh before that period, to be found in the works of Mussulman authors, must be necessarily in many respects of a traditional character, and we indeed find, that the Chuch Namuh does not attempt to do more than describe the revolution which destroyed the ancient Sindian dynasty in the century immediately preceding the Islamite invasion. The use of the modern Persian name Bruhmanabad, as applied to a city in the days of Chuch, gives sufficient proof of the loose manner in which the Mussulman historian collected his material; he was perhaps, in the spirit of a genuine Moslem, careless of all respecting the infidel inhabitants of the land, which was not in some way immediately connected with the advent of his own people. No. 111. NEW SERIES, No. 27.

Z