I must request the indulgence of friendly readers for the following paper on Bali. Not having prepared myself for this labour on Bali itself, I had not the means of collecting and properly arranging all my materials. I could only use for this purpose a small portion of the valuable manuscripts of the priests which were placed at my disposal. I could not avail myself of the information of the natives as to many points, and I was deprived of a great part of my manuscripts. These circumstances will, perhaps, in some degree excuse the many deficiencies, best known to the writer, of this preliminary account. I have divided this work into three divisions — 1st, language and literature; 2nd, religion, worship and cremation; 3rd, castes and royal races. With this is given a short description of the Balinese Calendar.

abhibhuyya jânâmi passâmîti evaṁsaññî hoti, idaṁ catutthaṁ abhibhâyatanaṁ. Ajjhattaṁ arûpasaññî eko bahiddhâ rûpâni passati nîlâni nîlavaṇṇâni nîlanidassanâni nîlanibhâsâni seyyatbâ pi nâma ummâpupphaṁ nîlam nîlavaṇṇam nîlanidassanaṁ nilanibhâsaṁ seyyathâ pi vâ pana taṁ vatthaṁ Bàrânaseyyakaṁ ubhatobhâgavimaṭṭhaṁ nîlaṁ nîlavaṇṇaṁ nîlanidassanaṁ nîlanibhâsaṁ evam eva ajjhattaṁ arûpasaññî eko bahiddhâ rûpâni passati nîlâni nîlavaṇṇâni nîlanidassanâni nîlanibhâsâni tâni abhibhuyya jânâmi passâmîti evaṁsaññî hoti, idam pañcamaṁ abhibhâyatanaṁ. Ajjhattaṁ arupasaññî eko bahiddhâ rûpâni passati pîtâni pîtavaṇṇâni pîtanidassanâni pîtanibhâsâni seyyathâ pi nâma kaṇikârapupphaṁ pîtaṁ pîtavaṇṇam pîtanidassanaṁ pîtani-bhâsaṁ seyyathâ pi vâ pana taṁ vatthaṁ Bàrâṇaseyyakaṁ ubhatobhâgavimaṭṭham pîtaṁ pîtavaṇṇam pîtanidassanaṁ pîtanibhâsaṁ evam eva ajjhattaṁ arupasaññî eko bahiddhâ rûpâni passati pîtâni pîtavaṇṇâni pîtanidassanâni pîtanibhâsâni tâni abhibhuyya jânâmi passâmîti evamsaññî hoti, idam chaṭṭham abhibhâyatanam. Ajjhattam arûpasaññî eko bahiddhâ rûpâni passati lohitakâni lohitakavaṇṇâni lohitakanidassanâni lohitakanibhâsâni seyyathâ pi nâma bandhujî-vakapuppham lohitakaṁ lohitakavaṇṇam lohitakanidassanaṁ lohitakanibhâsaṁ seyyathâ pi vâ pana tam vatthaṁ Bàrânaseyyakam ubhatobhâgavimattham lohitakam lohitakavannam lohitakanidassanam lohitakanibhâsam evam eva ajjhattam arupasaññî eko bahiddhâ rûpâni passati lohitakâni lohitakavannâni lohitakanidassanam lohitakanibhâsâni tâni abhibhuyya jânâmi passâmîti evamsaññî hoti, idam sattamaṁ abhibhâyatanam. Ajjhattam arupasaññî eko bahiddhâ rûpâni passati odâtâni odâtavannâni odâtanidassanâni odâtanibhâsâni seyyathâ pi nâma osadhitârakâ odâtâ odâtavannâ odâtani dassanâ odâtanibbâsâ seyyathâ pi vâ pana taṁ vattbam Bârânaseyyakam ubhatobhâgavimattbam odâtam odâtavan-nam odâtanidassanam odâtanibbâsam evam eva ajjhattam arûpasannî eko bahiddhâ rûpâni passati odâtâni odâtavannâni odâtanidassanâni odâtambhâsâni tâni abhiblmyya jânâmi passâmîti evamsaññî boti, idaṁ atthamam abbibhâyatanam. Imâni kbo Ânanda attba abhibhâyatanâni.

The history of Central Asia before the days of Jingis Khan is singularly complicated and obscure; and if we are to make our way among its mazes, we can only do so profitably by concentrating our attention on the larger empires which then floúrished, and integrating the scattered facts that have survived to our day about the lesser powers around them. The empire which held this dominant position at the accession of Jingis was that of Kara Khitai, a short-lived, but also an important power, which held sway with more or less authority from the Caspian to the borders of China, and thus formed in some measure a model, upon which the later Mongol Empire was framed, assisting, also, very considerably in its formation, since, when it fell, a large, disciplined and compact territory was added to it. With your permission, I propose to collect together so much of its history as I can meet with, and to clear up some difficulties that attach to it.

Takash-Bég, whose name must be familiar to every reader of Muhammedan history, was a son of Alp-Arslán, and brother of Malik-Sháh. I am not aware that any coin bearing his name has hitherto been published.

There being unquestionable historical facts and monumental ruins to testify to a considerable amount of civilization amongst the Sinhalese at an early period of their history, it may not unreasonably be supposed that they had a code of written laws, and a regular Government with a suitable executive. This cannot well be doubted, since it appears that law itself formed, in ancient times, a subject of study in the island. No regular records of these things, however, have come down to us, owing, in all probability, to the wanton destruction of literary records and libraries during the several invasions from the continent of India. Sinhalese historians with one voice deplore the devastations committed by the Cholas about the commencement of the thirteenth century, when the island suffered irreparable losses, both in a literary and political point of view, from the Saracenic fury of the invaders.