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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MAY, 1895.
vered by her at Mount Sinai; this also excited much interest. Professor Haupt made #learned communication on the situation of the Paradise of the Bible, and was not able to locate it in any de. finite place. Dr. Cust contributed an interesting printed essay on the ancient religions of the world before the Christian era, and M. Halévy maintained the importance of Assyriological research in connection with sound Biblical criticism.
7. Section III. (Musalınan languages). - The proceedings commenced with a special mention of the loss of Prof. Robertson Smith, made by Prof. Goldziher, and the same scholar at a subsequent meeting read an important paper entitled “Observations on the primitive history of poetry among the Arabs." It is thus summarised in the Procès Verbal :-"Poetry began with magic incantations. The Arabic poet is first of all an enchanter. His name, shdir, the knower, is identical with the Hebrew yidóni. The principal duty of the poet was to injure the enemies of the tribe by magic formulas. We find the most ancient example of this function of a poet in the Old Testament, in the history of Balaam. Professor Goldziher endeavoured to reconstitute these formulas, as they were amongst the ancient Arabs, and shewed that their form was that of the saga, in which metre was a later development. In the course of centuries these magic formulas gave rise to satirical poetry, the primitive recitation of which was accompanied by various external gestures. The old terpinology of Arabic poetry has preserved many traces of this origin. For instance, the term kafija, of which the original meaning is "formula overwhelming the head of the adversary."
Professor D. Margolioath described the correspondence of Ibn-al-athir al-Jazari, preserved at the Bodleian Library. These letters are dated from 621 to 627 A. H.
M. Grünert gave an account of Dr. Glaser's recent discoveries in Arabia, and a valuable paper was read by Dr. Horn on his discoveries in Persian and Turkish in the Vatican library. Dr. Seybold read a paper on the Arab dialect spoken at Grenada, pointing out how much still remained
to be done for the accurate study of the Moorish régime in Spain.
8. Section IV. (Egypt and African languages). - The chief papers were froin Prof. Piehl on Egyptian Lexicography, and from Drs. Heas and Krall on a Demotic work discovered in the Rainer Collection. Much interest was like. wise excited by the report from M. de Morgan of his discoveries in Egypt.
9. Section V. (The Far East) - A huge rubbing of an inscription in six languages found at Kiu-Yong-Koan, to the north of Peking, was exhibited by M. Chavannes. Dr. J. P. N. Land gave a paper on the music of Java, which seems to shew a curious analogy to the elements from which counterpoint was developed in the West, though the tonal basis is quite different. Dr. Waddell's paper on a Mystery-play of the Tibetan Lamas was read for him, and an important communication was made by Prof. Radlov on his discoveries and readings of inscriptions from Central Asia, near Lake Baikal. This paper was the great event of this section of the Congress. Professor Schlegel read a paper, to which ladies were specially in. vited, on the social position of Chinese women.
10. Section VI. (Greece and the East), and Section VII. (Oriental Geography and Ethno. logy). These sections were not largely attended, nor were the papers read of interest, except to specialists in the subjects dealt with. In neither of them had any of the papers reference to India.
11. The Congress was formally closed at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, the 12th September. At the final general meeting several resolutions were adopted, after having passed through the ordeal of the Consultative Committee. Amongst them may be mentioned the resolution regarding the Agôka Inscriptions, and one embodying the results of the labours of the Transliteration Committee. It is hoped that a scheme of translitera-, tion has at length been adopted, which can be accepted in all countries, and by scholars of all nationalities.
G. A. GRIERSON.
NOTES AND QUERIES. NAMES FOR, AND OFFERINGS TO, THE point out that cold water and cold food are GODDESS OF SMALL-POX.
offered to Sitlå (or Thandi), as the Goddess of Small-pox is popularly known by the name of Small-pox, at her shrines, but I am not sure that Sitla meaning "cool," from sit, and as Thandi this would explain her name. Why should cool meaning also "cool." Why should the attribute offerings be given her 21 of coolness be applied to a fever? I may also GUBDYAL SINGH in P. N. and Q. 1883.
1 (This may be merely another of the innumerable offerings are used to induce the demon of heat to instances of sympathetic magio. Cool names and cool become cool. -- ED.
