ORIENTAL RESEARCH IN 1869-70.
JANUARy 5, 1872.]
25
bay expedition, none of the results of their labours have been sent home ; and no attempt was made to follow up these experiments during the last cold weather. Nor, so far as is known in this country, have any expeditions been organized, either in Bengal or Bombay, for operations during the next
Besides these, Mr. T. C. Hope of the Civil Ser vice, has published a valuable work illustrated with 20 photographs by Mr. Lindley, of “Surat, Bharoch and other old cities of Gujarat with descrip tive and architectural notes,” by himself.
Season.
ledge of the architecture and antiquities of some parts of our Indian Empire is progressing, though not so rapidly as might be desired. More, however, may be doing in India than we are aware of here ; for unfortunately there is no agency either there or in the country where photographs by amateurs or local societies are collected, or from which a know ledge can be obtained of what is being done in this
In the meanwhile Dr. Hunter, at Madras, has been most successfully employing the pupils in his school of design in photographing some of the numerous temples which abound in that part of India, and also in casting some of their sculptures; none of the latter have reached this country, but the photo graphs are a valuable contribution to our know ledge, and, combined with those taken for Govern ment by Captain Lyon, convey a very perfect idea of the enormous architectural wealth of that Presi
dency. During the cold weather of 18689 Lieut. Cole, R.E., was deputed to Kashmir to photograph and make plans and drawings of the temples in that valley. A work giving the result of his labours is on the eve of publication by the India Office. It
From the above it will be seen that our know
respect.
In continuation of their report on the present state of literary and antiquarian research on the Indian continent, the Council, now desire to refer to the neighbouring island of Ceylon, and to offer a few remarks on the condition of that seat of Bud
from this country a party of draughtsmen, with the intention of drawing all those sculptures which had not hitherto been delineated by General Cunning
dhism and Pali learning They have noticed with no little satisfaction that the Pali language and literature and the religion of Shakya Muni in general have, during the last year or two, received a great amount of attention at the hands of European as well as of Singalese scholars. Several important works bearing on the subjects have been published in . England and abroad during the past year; and it is but fair to mention that this Society also has contributed its share to the promotion of these studies as is testified by the communications of Messrs. Childers and Fausboll, printed in its Journal, besides several papers on Buddhistic antiquities. A great and long-felt want will, at last, be supplied by the Pali Dictionary about to he published by Mr. Chil ders, who, it is to be expected, will by this work give a fresh and more general impulse to Pali
ham and his brother, or by Col. Maisey. We may
studies.
therefore hope that before long the means will be available in this country for obtaining a perfect knowledge of that remarkable monument. Besides these expeditions, which are all more or
A Singalese scholar, Pandit Devarakkhita, has published, a few months since, an excellent edition of the Balavatara, the most popular Pali Grammar in Ceylon; and the Pali text of the Digha Nikava has been promised by another native scholar. The Ceylon branch of the Asiatic Society also, has just issued a new and highly interesting number of its Journal, containing, amongst other articles, the
promises to be a most valuable contribution of our
knowledge of the style of architecture there pre vailing, and worthily completes what was so well commenced by General Cunningham in 1848. During the last cold season the same officer has been employed under the auspices of the Science and Art Department at South Kensington, in cast
ing the eastern gate-way of the great-tope at Sanchi. It is understood that he has successfully accomplished this object, and is now on his way home with the moulds.
Lieut. Cole took with him
less dependent on Government support, Mr. James Burgess, of Bombay, has just completed a splendid work on the great Temple city of Palitana. This York, which is illustrated by 45 photographs by Mr. Sykes, is preceded by an introduction by him
- lf full of interesting local information and anti
- ian knowledge regarding the sect of the Jains,
"Whom all the temples on that hill belong. The same author has also published 41 photo graphs taken by the same artist during an expedi tion to the caves of Talāja and Sana, and the tem
P" ºf Somnath and Girmar. The text to this book
- *elaborate as that of the previous work,
º **ufficient to describe and explain the history
- monuments it illustrates.
a". Sykes and Dwyer have also photographed Inot
- and temples at Nasik and Kárlá, but
- Yet been added in illustration of them
J any such Competent hand.
-
continuation of Mr. James d'Alwis' paper on the
Singalese language, the Aryan origin of which he maintains in an able and convincing manner, to
gether with a Lecture on Buddhism, delivered shortly before his death by Mr. Gogerly, the late eminent Pali scholar, and edited, with an introduc
tion and notes, by the Revds. J. Scott and D. de Silva. Another number of that Journal is reported to be
already in preparation. It is further gratifying to learn that Mr. T. W. R. Davids, a young promising Pali scholar of the Ceylon S. C., has undertaken to collect the Pali inscriptions which are scattered in
great number over the island. Whether he may succeed in deciphering, or whether he may have to content himself with copying and publishing, these
