________________
AUGUST, 1891.]
BOOK-XOTICES:
297
instance of this kind of circumlocution in the The two last notes refer to points of criticism Vada, but there is a parallel example in old in the Avesta. Persian to which he draws attention.
Dr. Von Stackelberg follows with notes on Rig Veda, 1, 92, 4ab. Benfey and Gra38- Ossetio, which are followed by short notes by Mr. man translate the second line she uncovers Rehatsek on Dr. Jacob's article on the Caspio. her bosom, as a cow her udders' (usré'va bárjaham). Baltic trade in the Middle Ages already referred Dr. Bartholomæ connects bárjaha with brihant, to, and by Dr. W. Bang on former articles on the and the Zend berezo, barezahi, barezata &c., ! religion of the Achæmenians. Three Reviews on * projecting, high.' He takes it as an adjective Semitic subjects, and one on a Chinese subject qualifying váksha, the breast. Usra' also does not come next, and the volume concludes with an mean cow.' It should be read ubrd', equivalent obituary notice, by Prof. A. Socin, of the late to ubatt', 'a girl desiring her lover.' He trans- Dr. Thorbecke, the eminent Semitic scholar, lates the couplet coloured garments casts she whose regretted death on the 3rd of January, round herself, like a dancing-girl. Like a damsel 1890, has left a void which it will be difficult to enticing her beloved, she uncovers her swelling fill. breast.'
G. A. GRIERSOX.
NOTES AND QUERIES. A VERSE ON TOBACCO.
"Once Indra asked Brahman, what is the best • Tobacco is greatly used in Southern India, thing in the world? And he replied, by his four sometimes in chewing with betel-leaves, some mouths: tabaku, pogaku, hogêsoppu, and times in smoking, and greatly in the shape of pogêle, meaning “tobacco, tobacco, tobacco, snuff. The following is a witty extollation of it tobacoo," in Hindustani, Telugu, Kanarese and hy an admirer :
Tamil respectively. The point consists in the
words from several languages being so arranged पुरा पृष्टवानब्जयोनि विडोजाः
in the last line, as not to break the rhythm of धरामंडले वस्तुसारं किमस्ति ।
the metre; otherwise there is nothing special in चतुर्भिर्मुखैहत्तरं तेन दत्त
the verse. * Ars: Ging Nu
S. M. NATESA SASTRI.
BOOK-NOTICES. TRE MAHABHARATA OY KRISHNA-DVAIPATANA-VYABA; A DICTIONARY OF THE CENTRAL NICOBAKESE LAN translated into English Prose. Published by PROTAP GUAGE, PRECEDED BY NOTES ON THE GRAMMAR CHANDRA Roy; the Bharata Press; Caloutta.
OF THE CENTRAL Form, by E. H. MAN. London,
W. H. Allen & Co. 1889. We are glad to find that Protop Chandra
We have before us another of Mr. Man's careful Roy's translation of the Mahabharata, which
publications, the contents of which have become we noticed first five years ago, ante, Vol. XV. | all the more valnable owing to the withdrawal of p. 216, is still being successfully carried on. The
ng successfully carried on. The an English Resident from the Nicobar Islands. last instalment that we have before us is Part For linguistio purposes the Nicobar Islands LXIV, which carries us into the commencement may be divided into six groups, viz. Car Nicobar, of Section 67 of the Sånti-Parva; and this and
Chowra, Teressa with Bompoka, the Central
embracing Carrorta, Nancowry, Trinkut and Katthe intervening parts shew that the work is being
obal, the Southern Group comprising Great and continued with the same fidelity and careful
Little Nioobar, Condul and Milo, and the inland attention to details. About three-fourths of the tribe or Shom Pen of Great Nicobar. The book whole translation have now been issued; and as, under consideration deals with the Central Group. from a notice on the wrapper, it appears that the
The total population is about 6,000, of which earlier parts are becoming scarce, scholars will
something over 1,090 live in the Central Group. do well to complete their sets before it becomes
The custom of tabu has had a peculiar offect
on the Nioobarese dialects, and is in some too late to do so. The same gentleman bae pub
measure responsible for the complete diversity lished also a Sanskrit Text of the epio, which
of tongues now existing between the different presumably gives the recension followed in this
groups. Any person may adopt any word of the translation.
language as his or her name, and after death that
