the Sanscrit, however amended, can bear that meaning. The first word, kusalasya, ordinarily means ' of felicity,' or else, of skill and cleverness :' while the other word, which, coalescing with kusalasya, makes up the whole line, is certainly not Sanscrit in its present state; for there is not, and cannot be, any such compound as 2. By making the two last letters : i. e. mpadas instead of pradam, (which however seems clear in the Tibetan character), and reading the last word of the first line instead of fur, I obtain the meaning, • In the abstinence from [lit. non-doing of] all sin, is the attainment of felicity.' A third meaning of kusala-though much less used among brahmanical Hindus -is pointed out in the Nána-artha-varga of AMARA-SINHA, who was himself a Buddhist, in the following line, (Kósha, lib. iii. c. 4, s. 23, 1. 206,) which may furnish us with an approximation in ultimate meaning, though not in the structure of the sentence, to the Tibetan explanation given by M. Csoma. quifa ânguy gud fafaà fay "Accomplishment, happiness, holiness: in these three meanings is the neuter noun kusalam learnedly understood." Adopting the last of these three senses, that of punyam or sanctity, and taking the word upasampadas in a sense which the Buddhist* use of the term points out, we may render the second line in question, "The advancement, or high attainment, of purity.” The third line requires the omission of the anusvára over the tt of the word chitta, to make it good Sanscrit, viz. ‘the subjugation of one's own mind,' afanufcend; unless, retaining this anusvára, we altered the other word from paridamanam to paridamaniyam, viz. 'One's mind must be subjugated,' afari oftendit. I think the choice lies clearly between these two readings, of which the former seems the best, and most accordant with the last line, as well as with the rules of Anustup measure. करणे for च्चकरणि in the first I subjoin a literal version of both the stanzas according to my notion of them, dropping however the proposed emendation of line of the latter, and adopting the reading ये धमी हेतुप्रभवा । सर्वपापस्याकरणं । कुशलस्योपसम्पदः खचित्तपरिदमनं । एतद्बुद्धानुशासनं । as proposed by M. Csoma. Quæ quæ officia exstant in-causâ, quâ» vis-originem-habentia, Causam eorum SIC-PROFECTUS ille (Buddhas) quidem declaravit. Eorum que quod obstaculum exstat, Ita quoque dicens MAGNUS ASCE- Omnis-peccati renunciatio, Sanctitatis profectus, Proprii-intellectûs-subjugatio, Hæc est BUDDHÆ-disciplina." Dr. MILL'S conjectural emendation of the 2nd line of the second of these stanzas, has been since unexpectedly confirmed by the Singhalese *The word upasampada is technically understood of the superior order of the Buddhist priesthood, the supply of which, when it had become extinct in Ceylon, has frequently been an object of solicitude to the more religious of the Candian monarchs, and has even been the occasion of embassies to Siam. For the attainment of the or der, the possession of 227 separate gunas or virtuous qualities is requisite each of which is distinctly mentioned in their treatises concerning ordination. Christian convert from Buddhism, RATNA-PÁLA: who repeats both passages in the Páli or Prácrit form from memory-describing the former especially as universally current anong the disciples of Buddha. His reading, however, gives upasampadá (Sanscrit чyazı: profectás) in the plural. And in the former passage, that of the inscription, he omits the particle hi, and instead of the verb avadať or uvácha, he reads the synonymous áha. His Páli reading, which will be immediately recognized by scholars as good Magadha Prácrit, is as follows: "Ye dhamma hetuppabhavá, Tesán hetun tathayato but RATNA PÁLA says that the latter couplet is not necessarily connected with the former. On the contrary another series of verses generally follows it in the daily service of the Buddhist temples of Ceylon. The compendium of the precepts of BUDDHA certainly occurs in numerous instances without the previous couplet. Thus it is inserted in the Tibetan version of the saint's letter to RATNAVÁLÍ, given as one of the examples in Mr. CSOMA's new Grammar, which will also be found among the extracts published in the third volume of this JOURNAL, page 61; and there would have been no reason to suspect that it was implied in the inconclusive sentence engraved on the Tirhut and Sárnáth tablets, had not the actual text been found by our learned Hungarian guest, to whose laborious and willing investigation of the volumes which are sealed to all but himself, we are mainly indebted for this probable if not conclusive solution of the enigma. IV.-Report on the Island of Socotra. By Lieut. J. R. WELLsted, Indian Navy, Assistant Surveyor. The following Report has been compiled from a daily journal, containing copious notices of all that came under my observation during a deputation of two months on the island of Socotra, under orders of Lieut. HAINES, commanding the Palinurus surveying Brig; but as the admission of minute details, illustrative of either the condition and character of the inhabitants, or the productions, topography, &e. of the Island can scarcely be deemed necessary in an official paper, similar to that which by my instructions is required of me in this instance, I have considered it necessary to condense the whole into as brief a space as has appeared consistent with the objects therein specified, notifying at the same time, that I have preserved the original notes, in the event of Government requiring either more detailed or extended informa tion on the various points to which my attention has been directed. By separating the various subjects contained in this paper into sections under different heads, I trust the Right Honorable the Governor in Couneil will be enabled, without wading through any extraneous matter, to seek at once the species of information which he may require. The Island of Socotra appears to have been known at an early period to the ancient geographers. PTOLEMY notices it under the appellation of Dios Cavedis Ins: and ARRIAN specifies, that the inhabitants of it were subjected to the authority of the kings of the Incense Country; but from this period it appears to have attracted little attention, and may almost be considered as lost to Geography, until the visit of MARCO POLO in the 13th century, who does not however make any particular mention of its inhabi tants or resources. VASCO DA GAMA, in his memorable voyage from Lisbon to Calicut in 1497, passed Socotra without seeing it; but seven years afterwards, it was made known to European navigators by FERNANDEZ PEREIRA; and ALBUQUERQUE, at a somewhat later period, took possession of it. At the commencement of the 17th century, when the increasing spirit of commerce and enterprise led several of our squadrons to enter the ports in the Red Sea, Socotra was frequently visited for shelter or refreshment; and in consequence of a general belief during the year 1798, that BUONAPARTE, who was then in Egypt, contemplated a junction of his forces with those of HYDER ALI in India, Commodore BLANKET, with a squadron from the Cape of Good Hope, was dispatched to take possession of it*. But notwithstanding these several visits, our accounts connected with its inhabitants, appearance and produce, have been vague and contradictory. By one traveller, Captain DAUNTOUN, a notice of whose travels is in my possession, it is ob'served, that" its chief produce is aloes, though the annual amount does not exceed a ton-cattle may be bought but exceedingly small, according to the dry rocky barrenness of the island-wood at 12 pence a man's burden, every particular is a very dear penny worth." By another, it is described as a populous fruitful island; that the inhabitants trade to Goa with its produce, viz. fine aloes, frankincense, ambergris, dragon's blood, rice, dates, and coral. Inconsistent as these statements appear, there is reason to believe both may have described with fidelity that which at the period of their visit was presented before them. Independent of the evidence which exists as to the former fertility of the island, it is necessary to consider, that those parts which would be exposed to the view of the passing traveller are mostly naked limestone, parts of which are indeed covered with a scanty sprinkling of soil, but that of a quality so hard and bad, that it merely nourishes a feeble grass, which dries up almost as soon as the rain ceases, which may have caused it to spring forth. Upon our first arrival at Tamarida, in the early part of January, some recent showers had clothed the hill with a lively verdure to the very base of the granite spires, and the whole looked fresh and beautiful; a month afterwards all was parched and barren. More than one vessel at different periods had been dispatched to examine the nature of its harbours and anchorages; but owing to some cause which I cannot explain, our information on these points could in no higher * degree be depended on. Our ignorance on these subjects strikes us the more These and se and the other scanty notices found in this paper, are extracted from books in my possession on board; other information will of course be found in works to which I have it not in my power at present to refer to estorge set sont bie forcibly when we consider the position of Socotra, its lying directly in the route of the trade from India, by the way of the Red Sea: the entrance to which, it may be said to command on the one hand, and close to the track of our ships by the way of the Cape on the other-a position, the advantages of which under an enterprising population and enlightened government, could scarcely have failed at some period to have brought it into great commercial notice and prosperity. In periods of antiquity, Socotra served as a station for merchants; and it may be observed, that these advantages were not over-looked by a maritime nation like the Portuguese. The ports which remain in the vicinity of Tamarida still attest the importance which they attached to its possession; but since the decline of their power, at the conclusion of the sixteenth century, Socotra has conti❤ nued to be disregarded by European nations. At the commencement of this year, various causes combined to render the establishment of a steam communication between India and Europe an object of general interest, and discussion; and the attention of Government became particularly directed towards this island, along the shores of which it was anticipated, that some well-sheltered harbours might be discovered, which would serve at all seasons as a depôt for coals. In order to determine this point, Captain HAINES in the Palinurus Surveying Brig was directed to proceed at once to the island, and to execute a minute trigonometrical survey of its exterior, while his attention at the same time was called to "obtaining the fullest information regarding the government, population, produce, fertility and quality of soil, as well as the religion, customs, manners, and wealth of its inhabitants." While Captain HAINES should occupy himself with the former of these duties, confining his observation to the sea coast and its vicinity, I was directed to proceed towards the interior in order that I might, from personal observation, report on the various subjects on which Government was desirous of possessing information. · ́Providing myself with camels, and a guide, I first journeyed by the interior towards Colesseah, examining the greater part of the western portion of the island. After concluding my observations in this neighbourhood, and communicating with the ship, I returned to Tamarida. A chief, in the mean time,named HAMED BEN TARY, arrived at Colesseah, who after leaving most positive directions, prohibiting our further progress, again left for the continent. We were in consequence closely confined to the town for a few days, but I at length got clear and completed my survey of the western end. The map will best exhibit the nature and extent of these journeys, and I shall not enter into any detail of them here, or make any other remarks than that the Arabs were unceasing in their attempts to throw obstacles in the way of my completion of it, The Island of Socotra is of the shape of an acute triangle, having for its vertex, a flat promontory towards the east called Ras Mamse; the coast line on the other side runs in a S. W. direction, and is nearly straight; the general direction of the northern face is formed by a succession of small bays; the base is also indented by a deep bay. Its length is 711 miles, and breadth at the broadest part 21 miles. The whole island may be considered as a pile of mountains of nearly equal height, which are almost surrounded by a low plain, extending from their base to the margin of the sea: this is of an irregular width, varying from 4 to 2 miles, excepting that between Ras Kattany and Ras Shab, where the mountains rise up perpendicularly from the sea, and it there disappears altogether. Throughout the whole extent of this belt, with the exception of those parts which are watered by the mountain streams in their progress towards the sea, and some spaces hereafter specified, the soil is hard, and of a bad quality, and does not, in its present state, appear susceptible of cultivation. The southern side, though considerably less fertile than the northern, affords, nevertheless, in the vicinity of Ras Mamse many of its productions; but to the westward, it is as arid and barren as the worst parts of Arabia. There the force of the S. W. wind has blown the sand up from the sea shore, where it is so fine as to be nearly impalpable, and formed it into a continuous range of sand hills, which extend parallel to the beach for several miles; from hence it spreads over the plain, and is even in some places deposited in vast quantities, at a distance of three miles from the sea, at the base of the mountains, which there form a barrier that alone could prevent it from overwhelming the natural soil of the whole island on the northern side. This belt is stony, and is covered with a dwarfish bush about six feet in height, the foliage of which is retained throughout the year, and gives to the space, when it is grown, an appearance of being clothed with verdure. Such is the appearance of the sea coast; but the high lands exhibit a great variety of soil and surface. As a general remark, it may however be observed, that nothing in the N. E. monsoon presents a stronger contrast than the western and eastern parts of the island; while the former is destitute of verdure, has but scanty pasturage, and has (with the exception of a few places near the sea) no other water than that which is retained in natural reservoirs; the latter or eastern portion is fed by numerous streams; its valleys nourish luxuriant grass; herds of cattle are numerous, and the scenery in some places little inferior to that of our own country. But we must now, as the most central and lofty, examine the granite range of mountains in the vicinity of Tamarida; steep valleys intersect this chain, dividing it into narrow ridges, which extend in a north-easterly and south-westerly direction. Of these the lower part is composed of a red aluminous porphyry, and the upper of a coarse-grained grey granite which protrudes several of its spires to the height, as was ascertained by a trigonometrical admeasurement, of five thousand feet; the summit of these is consequently seldom free from clouds; but when the weather is clear, their appearance is broken and picturesque. The lower part of this chain is covered with the same dwarfish tree which is found on the plains: higher up there is a great variety of trees and aromatic plants; but the granite spires merely nourish a light-colored moss, and are destitute of verdure. Connected with the granite range, and extending from it to the S. W. there is a lower ridge, averaging in height about 1500 feet, com posed of a compact cream-colored limestone. From this the hills diverge |