The Syrian or primitive church of Malayála Christians acknowledges Saint Thomas for its founder; and from the earliest dawn of Christianity in India, the tomb of that apostle has been as much venerated in the East as the tomb of Saint Peter was at Rome. This is not asserted on the authority of any obscure tradition, but unites in its favour all the proofs which can warrant its correctness: the accumulated testimonies of the first ages of the church; of Saint Jerome; of Saint John, surnamed Chrysostom; Athanasius, and Eusebius.

As the following remarks by a member of the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society may be considered an appropriate introduction to this subject, they are here prefixed.

I Have perused with attention the report on Hindú Infanticide in Cutch, by Mr. Burnes, affording evidence of the assiduity which marks all his researches.

Its publication in our Journal I should judge every way desirable; for it calls the notice of the public to the circumstance that the total suppression of this practice has not been effected; and we cannot aspire to higher merit than in laudably exerting ourselves to the promotion of such public measures as may tend to the well-doing of our fellow-creatures.

Much discussion having arisen as to whether the Eastern or Western branch of the Indus was formerly the grand stream of the river, and likewise as to the route pursued by Alexander the Great through Sindh, a few remarks from me may perhaps be excused, although the subject is one from which little profit can be derived, and on which it behoves every one to speak with caution and diffidence. Having, however, travelled over a considerable portion of the country, and by personal observation and inquiry made myself acquainted with many circumstances bearing on this topic, I am induced to offer the following facts and surmises for the consideration of those who are in any way interested in the question affecting the route of the Macedonian conqueror; but before entering on this discussion, it will be as well to describe the general features of the Indus as they now exist, in its course through Sindh.

This vessel, in height, measured nine Chinese inches and two-tenths; its containing depth was eight inches; its circumference, at the top, seven inches and eight-tenths; and at the centre, seven inches and fivetenths. It weighed seven Chinese pounds and twelve ounces, and was capable of containing three quarts. On the back was engraved the above inscription, which is now written Tsun foo Kwei. The last character was the name of the father of Ching-tang, the founder of the Shang dynasty, and the vessel is supposed to have been made by order of Ching-tang, in honour of his ancestor's having possessed himself of the empire. Tsun (a son), the first character, which was the name he assumed, represents him as grasping a sword in each hand: it is considered a very early mode of writing the character. The vessel, which is of a quadrangular form, is highly valued for its antiquity, and its workmanship is considered very beautiful. When sacrificing, two of these vessels were commonly used for containing wine.

The author of the Tohfat-al-Giráni states, that “the country of Sindh takes its name from Sind, the brother of Hind, the son of Noah. It is reckoned the forty-third of the sixty-one countries of the universe. The line of the second climate passes, from the north, directly through its centre; and although Sindh is situated in the five first climates, it nevertheless chiefly appertains to the second, and, consequently, lies in the region of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.” It would be difficult to discover where the author quoted has found these grandsons of the patriarch; indeed, as is usual in such genealogies, they are probably altogether imaginary. The Hindú writings may, perhaps, afford some more satisfactory explanation of the name; but I have not been so fortunate as to meet with it. As far as I can learn from such sources, this country was called Sindhúdès, or “the country of the ocean,” alluding doubtless to the river Indus, which receives that dignified appellation in their sacred writings. The same authorities also state Sindh to have been governed by a Xhuthi, named Jayadrat'ha, who was slain in the civil wars of the Pandús; and it has, in consequence, sometimes received the name of Jayadrat'hadès, after that chieftain.

[With a view to obtain correct and authentic information on the subject of Nepálese law, both in its theoretical principles and practical administration, Mr. Hodgson addressed a series of questions to several individuals who were judged most capable of replying to them in a full and satisfactory manner. Copies of these series of interrogatories, with their respective answers, have been communicated by him to the Royal Asiatic Society (together with a separate paper on crimes and punishments); and the following article has been drawn up from a careful comparison of the whole, excluding as much as possible the repetitions unavoidably occurring, in many instances, in the various answers to any particular question. A reference to the works of Kirkpatrick, Hamilton, and others, will shew how little has hitherto been contributed to the knowledge of Europeans respecting Oriental systems of jurisprudence, as far as regards the kingdom of Nepal; it is therefore particularly gratifying to be enabled to produce so complete a view of the subject as has been furnished by Mr. Hodgson, whose perseverance and energy in obtaining an acquaintance with these and other matters hitherto kept sacred from all strangers, are only equalled by the intelligent and liberal manner in which he communicates to the public the information he has acquired.—Ed.

The P'hansigárs are a tribe of, perhaps, the most deliberate and decided villains that stain the face of the earth. I hardly know whether they should be called a tribe, for they have no distinct religion or prejudices; they admit into their fraternity persons of all castes and persuasions; and the gangs which are found in different parts of the country appear to have no general knowledge of, or connexion with, each other, further than the diabolical compact existing among a few of the members who may at any period have acted in concert in their trade of villany. The following few particulars I gathered from the examination of part of a large gang which inhabited a village on the western frontier of the Nizáms country, not very far from Bíjápúr.

[Since the sheet containing the former paper on this subject, by Lieutenant Burnes, was printed off, the Society has been favoured, by that gentleman, with a copy of his letter to Lieutenant-Colonel Pottinger, detailing the substance of a conversation which took place between himself and some of the Jhárejá chieftains, shortly after the delivery of letters from the Bombay government to the Rao of Cutch, deprecating the continuance of the practice of female infanticide in his dominions. This document is curious as explaining the sentiments of these individuals in regard to this practice, almost in their own words, and will tend to the completion of the evidence in our possession as to the existence of this inhuman custom.]

[The increasing interest connected with the progress of commerce in central Asia, and the scarcity of authentic information illustrative of that subject, renders it probable that the subjoined documents may not be devoid of use with reference to any future researches of the same nature, and it has, therefore, been deemed advisable to place them on record in the pages of this Journal.]—Ed.

[No questions of greater practical importance, perhaps, have ever occupied the attention of the British government in India, than those of the allodial rights of the inhabitants, and the amount and species of revenue which it might be justified in claiming from them. There are certainly none, among the vast number of peculiar and delicate cases connected with the government of our possessions in that country, which have elicited so much conflicting opinion, which have been more ably argued by men of the highest talent and information, or which have appeared more difficult of solution.

M. Stanislas Julien, the worthy successor of the lamented Abel Remusát, has commenced his career as professor of Chinese literature by publishing translations of some of the popular tales that best illustrate the habits of thought and action which prevail in the celestial empire. As ours is not exactly a critical journal, we shall not offer any opinion on the merits of these works; but in pursuance of our plan of diffusing information on oriental subjects, we shall offer to our readers such abstracts and specimens of the several tales as may serve to illustrate the character of the Chinese school of fiction, and, consequently, the state of the Chinese mind—for popular tales may justly be regarded as the personification of popular principles, Want of space rather than inclination prevents us from examining, at the same time, the professor's specimens of the Chinese drama; but as he proposes soon to translate some additional plays, we shall have another opportunity of directing attention to the subject. We shall at present confine ourselves to the romances, and we shall preserve the French orthography of proper names, as we are about to give only the outlines, not the translations of the tales.

Amongst the crowned heads and princes of royal blood in Asia who have taken an interest in the welfare of the Royal Asiatic Society, we have to name the Sháh of Persia, and his second son, the Prince Royal, Abbas Mirza. The latter is lost to his country and to us; and the untimely termination of his career is both a matter of public concern, and has especial claims on the notice and sympathy of the Society, from the peculiar relation in which his Royal Highness stood with respect to it.

This very curious and highly-finished painting represents the court of the Emperor Jehángír at Agra, apparently at night. The name of the artist does not appear on the picture; but as the emperor's grandson, Sultán Shujá, who is here portrayed as a boy of about nine years of age, was twenty-four years old when appointed to the government of Bengal in a.d. 1639, the date of the painting may be assumed to be about a.d. 1625.

[The Catalogue of the Mackenzie Collection published at Calcutta by Professor Wilson, in the year 1828, being with difficulty procurable in England, it has been thought that the following account of that Collection might not be unacceptable to those persons who feel an interest in the subjects which it was intended to illustrate, and who may not be aware of its nature and extent.

Page 9, line 17, for raking stern, read raking stem.

Page 10, line 14, for prow stern, read prow stem.

Page 10, line 29, for stern head, read stem head.

Page 11, line 34, for ditto, read ditto.

Page 12, line 23, for ditto, read ditto.

Page 12, line 31, for ditto, read ditto.

Page 13, line 5, for ditto, read ditto.

Page 22, for Sindhú, read Sindhu.

Page 22, for Sindhúdés, read Sindhudés.

Page 23, line 3 from below, for Púrána, read Purána, and in other parts of the Number.

Page 23, last line, for Tohfat al Gírám, read Tuhfat at Giráni; and in other parts of the Number.

Page 24, line 22 from the top, for Sirowar, read Sarowar, (recurring in the note.)

Page 25, line 5 from below, for Susi, read Sasi.

Page 26, line 3 from below, for oriti, read Oritœ.

Page 29, last line, for Láryía, read Larica.

Page 30, line 5 from the top, for Alcbári, read Alcbari.

Page 32, for Ságára, read Ságara.

Page 46, line 17 from the top, for pharasaical, read Pharisaical.

Page 48, line 1 from the top, for Pánchayat, read Pancháyat.

Page 48, line 2 from below, for Dharamádhikari, read Dharmádhikári.

Page 88, line 7 from the top, for Síva, read Siva.

Page 88, line 12 from the top, for Dúrga, read Durga.

Page 91, line 7 from the top, for Nava Ráttiri, read Nava Rátra.

Page 117, line 22 from the top, for Akbár, read Akbar (repeatedly).

Page 117, line 22 from the top, for Arangzíb, read Aurangzíb (repeatedly).

Page 118, line 17 from below, for Habib-as-sír, read Habíb-as-siyar.

Page 122, line 7 from below, for midiním, read mediním.

Page 126, line 2 from below, for Serumenrai, read (properly) Surra-man-raá.

Page 132, line 10 from below, for Himaláya, read Himálaya.

Page 135, line 7 from above, for Aromea, read (usually) Urmiah, Oormeah.

Page 138, last line, for Patalipura, read Pátaliputra.

Page 171, line 11 from the bottom, for Cosmos, read Cosmas.

Page 173, line 22 from the bottom, for Nebuchadrezzar, read Nebuchadnezzar.

Page 200, line 6 from the bottom, for Púrán, read Purán, all through.

Page 200, line 6 from the bottom, for Púrána, read Purána, a11 through.

Page 233, line 18 & 33 from the top, for Allá-ud-dín, read Ala-ud-dín.

Page 234, line 6 from the top, for Rizák, read Rizzák.

Page 234, line 5 from the top, for Ságára, read Ságara.

Page 234, line 12 from the top, for Akbár, read Akbar (all through).

Page 236, line 21 from the top, for Mánsura, read Mansúra.

Page 267, line 7 from the bottom, for sabhásúdd'ha, read sabhásudd'ha.

Page 278, line 8 from the bottom, for srid'han, read strid'han (several times).

Page 284, line 18 from the top, for purushá, read purusha.

Page 294, line 13 from the top, for Bháratá-Várshán, read Bhárata-varshan.

Page 307, line 9 from the top, for Remusát, read Rémusat.

Page 327, line 15 from the top, for Zodaic, read Zodiac.

Page 330, line 2 from the bottom, for Badukhihán, read Badakhshán.

Page lxxi line 15 from the bottom, for Tim, read T.

Page lxxi line 10 from the bottom, for Sástrá read Sástrá.