.......... VII. Proceedings of a Meeting of the Madras Literary Society and Auxi- liary of the Royal Asiatic Society, held at the Society's Rooms, at the College, on Thursday the 28th November 1833... VIII. Meteorological Register kept at the Madras Observatory; for the I. A sketch of the History of the Ramoossies, residing in the Sattarah Territory and in the Poona and Ahmednuggur Districts-By On the Mode of raising water in India-By Mechanicus.. Translation of an extract from Tohfet al Akbar; or, a history of the Rulers, Rajahs, and Jaghiredars of the Carnatic- By an Marine Barometer,-Theory of Storms, &c.... Memorandum on the Tides at Madras-By Lt. Col. DeHavilland Translation from a work by M, M. Botté et Riffault, detailing, the method pursued in France, of extracting Saltpetre from the soil, and of ascertaining the quality of Saltpetre by assay.— VIII. Proceedings of the Madras Literary Society and Auxiliary of the Royal Asiatic Society, held at the College, on Thursday the 30th Proceedings of the Madras Literary Society and Auxiliary of the Royal Asiatic Society, held attire Society's rooms, at the College, on Thursday evening the 27th February 1834.. Meteorological Register.kept at the Madras Observatory; for the months of December 1833; and: January and February 1834....199 A sketch of the History of the Ramoossies, residing in the Sattarah Territory and in the Poona and Ahmednuggur Districts-By Capt. Alexander Mackintosh of the 27th Regiment M. N, I. Commanding Ahmednuggur Local Corps.. On the state of Slavery in Southern India by A, D, Campbell, Esq. M. C. S. (Extracted from appendix to Report from Select Committee on the affairs of the East India Company).. ..248 An Historical account of the Christians on the Malabar Coast, by the Venerable Archdeacon Robinson, A. M. Part 3d.. IV, Climate of Seringapatam, Lat. 12° 45' N. Long. 76° 51' E. (Ex- tracted from the Journal of the Asiatic Society, of Bengal.).. ..269 Experiments on the preservation of sheet iron from rust in India, .... 297 VII. Meteorological Register kept at the Madras Observatory; for the A sketch of the History of the Ramoossies, residing in the Sattarah Territory and in the Poona and Ahmednuggur Districts-by Capt. A Review of " Illustrations of the Botany and other branches of the Natural History of the Himalayan mountains and of the Flora of Cashmere.-By John F. Royle, F.L.S. & G.S.M.R.A.S, &c." 316 III. Geology of the South of India,--By J. G. Malcolmson, Asst. Surg. 329 An Historical account of the Christians on the Malabar Coast, by the Venerable Archdeacon Robinson, A. m. Part IV. On the State of Education of the Natives in Southern India by A. D. Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ire- months of June, July and August, 1834. IN INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. N presenting the first number of the Madras Journal of Literature and Science to the public it is considered advisable to offer a few observations, with respect to the causes that have given rise to its publication and to the general scope and object of its operations. The absence has long been felt and generally regretted of a Journal at this Presidency which might form a channel of immediate publicity to the communications of those interested in the cause of Literature and Science. The public prints of the day are obviously ill calculated for the purpose, and the opportunity presented by the publication of the transactions of the Literary Society is by far too distant and uncertain. The consequence has been that many valuable and interesting communications, which would otherwise have contributed to the fame and credit of this Presidency, have been transferred to, and served to add to the literary laurels of the sister Presidencies, where several periodical publications of a literary and scientific character have long since been established. At the present period when the attention of England is particularly directed towards this: interesting country, and every communication tending to the developement of its resources or to add to the information we already possess in regard to its inhabitants, their manners and customs, is sought with the greatest avidity, it appears the more incumbent that each Presidency should contribute its respective share of information on these points, with the view of distinguishing the great and remarkable difference which exists in the people, their institutions, and usages, in different parts of the British territory in the East. The great and well deserved success that has attended the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta, has pointed it out as a fit and appropriate model after which to found the Madras Periodical which is about to be established, under the aus ii pices of the Literary Society and Auxiliary of the Royal Asiatic Society. The work in question will not however be coufined to papers drawn from the archives of the Society; nor is it intended to be restricted to elaborate essays or scientific disquisitions, but will be open to communications of a less formal nature upon every subject tending to afford useful information in regard to the people and country of India. It is evident indeed that the work cannot prosper if dependant alone on the limited stores of the Society and that it must mainly depend for success upon the support it may receive from the community at large, who will find in it, a ready vehicle for conveying to the world the result of their discoveries, researches, and observations, in all that relates to the literature, arts, sciences, natural history &c. &c. of this country. That much has been done in the cause, is sufficiently evidenced by the numerous valuable works relating to India that have, from time to time, been published, but still it cannot be denied that enough remains to afford an abundant and satisfactory harvest to the labourer in the Indian vineyard. As every person of ordinary intelligence and observation must have remarked that the natives have of late years sensi bly relaxed in many of their prejudices, and as our knowledge of their character and customs as well as our facilities of communicating with them. have at the same time materially increased, it may likewise be added that Individuals in the present day, enjoy advantages in the prosecution of their inquiries that were not possessed by their precursors in this field of labor. It is not considered necessary to enter into a lengthened dissertation as to the several points likely to reward the researches of the intelligent and the curious, in as much as, in the Desiderata of the Royal Asiatic Society which are republished as an Appendix to this month's number, and to which the attention of the public is particularly requested, are fully specified the several subjects on which information is still wantirg. The mine there can be no doubt still contains an abundance |