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DECEMBER, 1880.]
In doing so, Sir Salar Jung requests, in return, to be furnished with a list of all similar works obtained elsewhere by Prof. Dowson, and of all the Oriental historical works which are found in the libraries of the different Native States in India, and in European collections.
This is a step in the right direction to revive an interest in the past history and local annals of Native States, which we hope may be followed up by all of them. Much has been done by Government for the cataloguing and transcription of rare Sanskrit MSS., and the results have been important and valuable. May we not hope that an effort will also be made to catalogue the valuable libraries of Persian and Arabic works in India, and to secure copies of the most important and least known historical MSS. P
MISCELLANEA.
AN APPARITION SEEN BY THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF INDIA.
The Rev. Bourchier Wrey Savile has issued a second edition of his valuable and interesting book on " Apparitions," (published by Longmans and Co.,) and in it he gives fresh instances of the seeing of spontaneous apparitions by persons not Spiritualists. In the preface he says:
"I am indebted to the kindness of George Sparkes, Esq., of Bromley, Kent, for the following very singular incident connected with that eminent statesman, Warren Hastings, who together with Lord Clive and the recently deceased Lord Lawrence have done more than any other of our great men to found and preserve to our descendants the finest empire in British India, which the world has ever seen. Mr. Sparkes informs me that one evening, when his great-uncle, Joseph Cater, Esq., then secretary to Warren Hastings, was sitting with the Supreme Council of India in the Council Chamber of Calcutta, Mr. Shakespeare, one of the members, suddenly looked up, exclaiming, "Good God, there is my father!" The whole Council then saw a figure of an unknown person glide through the chamber into another room which had no outlet, and disappear. What particularly attracted the attention of the Council was the fact that the figure appeared with a hat of unusual shape, commonly known in our day by the name of "chimney-pot." The GovernorGeneral was so struck with the occurrence that he ordered a minute to be made of the matter, and placed in the record-chest; and where it may possibly still remain. In course of time a ship from England arrived, bringing the news of the death of Mr. Shakespeare's father; and likewise a cargo of "chimney-pot hats," the first ever brought to India.
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NOTES AND QUERIES.
2. PROPER NAMES (ante, p. 229).-In addition to the Note on Proper Names by Mr. G. A. Grierson in the Ind. Antiquary, ante p. 141, I beg to state that the following names are given in the Canarese country of Maisûr, to children born after the death of two or more immediately preceding, and if not already published, the information may be of interest:
Tippia-from tippé, meaning dung-hill,-a coincidence with "Gobardhan" in vogue in similar cases in Bengal.
Giriappa-from giri, a mountain.
Gundappa-from gundu, a rock. Kallia from kalli, a stone. Kadappa-from kadu, wilderness, jungle, or
forest.
Kappia or Kappanna-from kappi, blackness. Besides this, parents and relatives call children also by affectionate terms which in course of time are generally adopted instead of their proper names. Such terms are
Chikid-from child, small.
Puṭṭia or Puṭṭu Rão-from putta, small. Appanna or Appå Râo-from appå, father. Thummi&-from thummd, younger brother. Annia or Annappå-from annd, elder brother. Sannappa-from sanna, small.
Doddappa or Doddanna-from doddá, large. I may add that these names are also made use of by females, when their husbands go by the same names as the children, and which they are precluded from uttering.
7. CHOWKA. For long my attention has been drawn to the custom of Chowkd so rigidly observed by the Hindustani or Northern. Brahmans and they thus explain its signification. In preparing his meals the Brahman cleans the ground (or gets it cleaned), draws lines to form an oblong or square figure wherein he must place every article of food to be cooked, including firewood, and when he bathes and has once got into the Chowkd, he is not to come out of it until he has finished his
meals; but if he is compelled to come out, the food is given away to a Súdra, and everything is prepared afresh.
They say it is a custom corresponding with Svayampaka in Sanskrit, but the Brahmans in this country take this term to mean "to prepare his own meals," and Chowkd does not occur in their observances. I shall be glad if any up-country or Bengal Brahman will kindly enlighten me (one of them) as to the full object and observances of
Chowka.
M. R. TIVARI.
Chikmaglur, 22nd July 1880.
