Presidency, consisting of Bengal proper, the North-Western Provinces and other territories, was governed directly by the Governor-General and his Council. For this Presidency there was a Court styled Sadar or the chief appellate tribunal, with several European Judges. It was the central repository of Native law. To this Court young Thomason was appointed Registrar. In the course of five years he acquired such proficiency in Muhammadan law, that by his own request he was publicly examined. Among his examiners were Ouseley, who bore a name famous in Oriental learning, and William Hay Macnaghten, who himself composed abstracts of Muhammadan and Hindu law, and who afterwards was signalized by his ill-fated though honourable end in the first Afghan War. They reported that he showed 'intense application and extraordinary talent.' He read before the native law-officers a passage from the Hedaya or sacred law, in Arabic, and explained to them its meaning in Persian. His studies were further extended to Hindu law, and for that he had to learn Sanskrit. Proficiency like his, in two such different and indeed opposite languages as Arabic and Sanskrit, is almost unique in Anglo-Indian records.
After this distinguished service under the Sadar or Chief Court, he was appointed to act for a time as Judge in the Jungle Mahals or districts. This was great promotion for so young a man; but then, as the name implies, the climate was bad and doubtless caused the sickness that drove him to England in
