Indian Antiquary Vol 58

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 130

120
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JUNE, 1929
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results ; for, appying it to the first of the Vála- fortunately the work is marred, by numerous khilya hymns, which are universally admitted to be typographical errors, misspellings and inaccurate late, later than the latest hymn of Mandala X ac- quotations. Among some curious mistakes the cording to Slyaps, one finds that the percentage of following may be cited. Cosare de' Foderici's occurrences in it of Dr. Wüst's seventeen classes of "oyle of Zerzeline" is described as "oil of sardine, words is .0370 ; and hence one arrives at the result an East Indian pilohard valued for its oil" (p. 18, that this hymn is earlier than more than half of the n. 2). It was, of course, oil of Sesamum (til). hymns of the fourth Mandala which, according to Reterence to Yule and Burnell's Hobson-Jobson Dr. Wüst, is very early.
might have cleared up more points than this; A. VENKATASUBBLAH. but from a note on p. 63 it looks as if the author
thought that Hobeon and Joboon had written THE ANNALS OF THE EARLY ENGLISH SETTLEMENT IN BIHAR, by N. N. Raye, M.A., 87 x 5; Pp. 320
this work. Lakhnauti and Gaur are referred to
(p. 47) as different towns; but Lakhnauti wa 11, Calcutta, 1928.
another name for Gaur. Carnac's defeat of the Mr. Raye tells the story of the English settlements emperor Shah Alam on the 16th January, 1761, in Bihar, and more particularly of the vicissitudes is described as having occurred "at Gaya-Manpur," of the Patna agency and factory, from the visit
whereas the battle was fought between Hiles and of Hughes and Parker to Patna in 1620 down to
Bihar, in the Patna district. The hot-tempered Ellis the year 1772, when Warren Hastings became
is called “John or William Ellis." His name was Governor of Bengal. Nearly half the book has
William Ellia, os will be seen from the letters and been devoted to a period of about twenty-five years in the middle of the eighteenth century, the
proceedings of the time. The factory at Patna in history of which has been more fully dealt with
1763 is doeoribed (p. 220, n. 3) as lying just outside by Ghulam Hussin, Stewart, Mill, Thornton,
the eastern wall of the city, and the fort as on the Broome and others. We could have wished that
Western side of the city. It was the other way further information had been supplied in respect
about; the factory was outside the western wall of of the eaplier time. The narrative, while not dis
the city, near the river, and the gilat was in the closing full acquaintance with original documents
north-eastern corner of the city. available, is written in a very readable style. Un
C. E. A. W. OLDKAM. NOTES AND QUERIES. AN IMPORTANT
The writer of this notice enquired of Mr. Moreland SEVENTEENTH CENTURY MS.
as to the person best qualified for the task and The Reports of Johannes Baccheris.
whether he could himself find time to examine and In the course of my research work in Indian history edit the reports of Baccherus. Unfortunately he is of the latter part of the seventeonth oentury, I have 80 fully occupied with other work that he is quite ascertained that there is preserved in the Algemeen unable to undertake the task. He, however, very Rijksarchief at the Hague the original report, together kindly wrote to the President of the Hakluyt with other documente, by Johannes Baccherus. These Society to ascertain whether the work could bo documents form volumes 10 and 11 of the Overgekomen undertaken under ite auspices. It is much to be papieren, and together contain 1,300 folios, dated regretted that there seems little likelihood that the December 4, 1692, and were sent to the Directors of Society will undertake the task, as its programme is the Company in Holland, called De Heeren zeventien. fall for some time shead. Nor is it probable that Johannes Bacchorus was sent by the Directors in
Dutch scholars would be willing to edit theme 1685 from Holland to India as Second Commissioner.
reports, most of them being already so fully occupied Ho spont some time on the North Coast of Coro. with rearch work in connection with their own mandel and afterwards went as Ambassador to the
history that they would not be likely to be sufiMughal Court for the purpose of congratulating ciently interested in what would from their point Aurangzeb on his victory over the Marathas and the of view be a matter of secondary importance. English. There are some references to Bacoherus in Sir William Foster and others have signified their Manushi's Storia do Mogor, edited by William Irvine. interest in the subject, and they will no doubt
The Dutch records are still unexplored, and it is bear the matter in mind in case any competent very important for the elucidation of Indian history. person can be found to edit the reporte. It must, especially of the Mughal period, that they should be however, be emphasized that the whole question of made available for Indian studenta. Mr. W. H. Dutch records bearing on India must in the long Moreland and other scholars have called attention
run be taken up by our own Indian scholars and at to the historion value of such documenta, which
our own expense. In thus calling attention to the show that the Dutch travellers were shrewd obeervers historical importance of these M88. my hope is that of Indian oonditions. Wo are, therefore, inolined
some of my countrymen may be disposed to underto believe that the reports of Baooberu would afford take the task and to communicate with the archi some valuable additional knowledge of Aurangzeb's vist, Algemeen Rijksarchief, the Hague, Holland, Court and administration, and that it would be for further information. worth while to examine the contentaof these reoorde.
HARIHAR DAS