leges at our universities, of the students against the head.

It is a remark of Johnfon's*, that as fpiders would make filk, if they could agree together, so men of letters would be useful to the public, if they were not perpetually at variance. Besides my approbation as a good citizen of your regulations, I have a particular intereft in the conduct of Mujduddeen, who is Maulavy† of the court, and as fuch ought to be omni exceptione major. I believe from my conversation with him, that he is not a man of deep learning; but his manners are not unpleafing. The propofal which you make, cannot but produce good effects; but I hardly know any member of our fociety who aniwers your defcription for a vifitor under your directions, except Mr. Chambers, and his report might be depended on. I will, if you please, propose it on Thursday. The ftudents brought a complaint before me laft term, which I dismissed as not being with

without piety, whatever admiration it may excite, will never be entitled to an equal degree of refpect and efteem, with the humble knowledge, which makes us wife unto Salvation. The belief of Sir William Jones in Revelation, is openly and diftinctly declared in his works; but the unoftentatious effufions of fequeftered adoration, whilft they prove the fincerity of his conviction, give an additional weight to his avowed opinions. More might be added on this fubject, but it will be communicated in another place.

His next stage was Bhagilpoor, the refidence of the friend, to whom the preceding letters were addreffed, and here he was long detained by illness and debility. The vigour of his mind however ftill continued unimpaired, and except during the fevere paroxyfms of diforder, his researches for information were never suspended, nor would he fuffer himself to be debarred from any intercourfe by which they could be promoted. It was at this place, during the hours of convalefcence when he was confined to his couch,

that he applied himself to the study of botany; a science for which he had early entertained a great partiality, and which he pronounces the most lovely and fascinating branch of natural knowledge. With the works of Linnæus before him, he procured the plants of the country to be brought to him, and comparing the productions of nature, with the descriptions and arrangements of the Swedifh philofopher, he beguiled the hours of languor and disease, and laid the folid foundation of that botanical knowledge, which he ever afterwards cultivated with increasing ardour and delight.

From Bhagilpoor he purfued his journey to Patna, where he was again attacked with a severe indisposition. It did not however prevent him from proceeding by land to Guyah, famous as the birth-place of Boudh, the author of a fyftem of philofophy which labours under the imputation of atheism; but more famous for the annual refort of Hindu pilgrims from all parts of India, who repair to the holy city for the purpose of making prescribed

oblations to their deceased ancestors, and of obtaining abfolution from all their fins.

The city of Benares was his next stage, and the limits of his excurfion. He had here an opportunity of seeing the profeffors of the Hindu religion, at the most celebrated and ancient university of India, and had only to regret, that his knowledge of their language was infufficient to enable him to converse with them without the affiftance of an interpreter. After a fhort refidence, which his fense of duty would not allow him to protract unneceffarily, he returned by the Ganges to Bhagilpoor*, where, as he obferves, he had

* From a note written by Sir William Jones, on Major Rennel's account of Butan and Tibet, I extract the following passage. It is endorsed, as having been intended for the Researches of the Asiatic Society, but is not published in them.

66

"Just after sun-set, on the 5th of October 1784, I "had a distinct view from Bhagilpoor of CHUMALURY peak, and the adjoining mountains of TIBET, which "are very clearly seen from Perneia, and were perfectly "recollected by a learned member of our society, one of "the latest travellers to that interesting country, who had ❝obligingly communicated to me a correct note of the "bearings and courses observed in his journey from "Rengpur to Tassisudden, and thence through Parad

already found fo much health, pleasure, and, inftruction for two months.

In his journey from this place to Calcutta, he vifited Gour, once the refidence of the fovereigns of Bengal. This place ftill exhibits architectural remains of royal mag

gong to Chumalury. The peak bore very nearly due "north to the room, from which it was seen, in the "house of Mr. Chapman; and from the most accurate "calculations that I could make, the horizontal distance 66 at which it was distinctly visible, must be at least 244 "British miles; there was a strong glare from the setting

sun on the snows of its more western side, and it might "assuredly have been discerned at a much greater di"stance. By an observation of Mr. Davis, at Rengpur, "and another at Tassisudden, the difference of latitude "between the place last mentioned and Bhagilpoor, is "163 geographical, or 188 and a fraction, British miles:

now although the road from Buradewar in Butan, the "latitude of which was found to be 26° 53', consisted of "rough mountains and deep valleys, yet the way between "Paradgong and Chumalury, especially from Chesa"camba, the frontier of Tibet, was very level; and the 66 accuracy of our travellers gives us reason to believe, "that their computed miles from Tassisudden were but "little above the standard; so that having measured the "northern sides of the two triangles, formed by their courses WNW. and NNW. we could not be far from "the truth."

"The mountains of Chumalury, are the second or third "ridge described in the Memoir. The Major justly con"siders the mountains of Himola, for so they are named.