Page:The Indian Antiquary, Vol. 4-1875.djvu/233

 220 THE ETDIAS ANTIQUABY. ("Jutl, ■ volume of the Madras Literary Jnumit was prc- pored by Muttu^amt at my suggestion, and iu a foot-note at page 257 he describes tho discovery oi the volume in Tanjoro (not Madura) exactly as given by Mr. Caldwell. Tbo mtaeian or MuttneAmi, however, to collect matcrlala for n life of Bcschi took place in 181 6 and ho moat hare received the precious volume frmo Mr Ellis, whu died in 1819* earlier than Mr. Caldwell supposes. Dr. Koai kindly allowed tlio M.S. to be exhibited to the Tn rati ion Section at Ur DUMling of the < >ricutnl Congress in &eptcmber,on which occasion Baron Textor do Ravin i, late Governor of the French settlement at Carieul. enlarging with en- thusiasm on the beauty of tha composition, and the perfect condition in which the M.S. had been preserved. niaJe the observation which Mr. Cald- well has quoted. I was able then to inform him that, ln'farv leaving India, the Provisuur of the College Royal at l^mdichcrry hod obtained tho loan of it, for the exprc&s purpose ef printing a new edition, founded on the most accurate text procurable. I cannot recall the exact, date of thitt publication, because tho copy with which he wus good enough to present me wnu deatouyad many other booka and papers, on the voyage home. Tho MS, volume waa bound before it canto into my hands. Tho mention of Mr. Ellis in connect ion with thia subject JnffUiftfMI mo to add a few part km I .on re- garding one whoso merit*] as an Oriental scholar am too little known, and whose untimely death, in the prime ond vigour uf life, proved on irreparable loss to the cnnia of Dravulian literature. Arriving in India as n young civilian in | he early devoted himself to tho ifcudy of the lan- gtuigcs, history, and ant iquith-* of the land in which his lot was cant. For upwards or twenty years he devoted nil his spare time to tho cultivation of Sanikfit and tho various dialects peculiar to Southern India. Having determined to publish. nothing until ho hod oxhauntcd every avaHablb tource of information, ho had amass*! a vast amount of mate rut I. the elaboration of which would have shed a flood of light en the still obscure history of that region, and likewise anticipated much, of tho knowledge of its philology and literature which recent researches have brought to light, WhvH bis task was almost completed* ho undertook a journey to Madura, the Athens of the South, for the elucidation of some minor details, and resided for some time with Mr. Rous Fetre, the Collector I 'let. Daring a short excursion to Ham* • t» u i I | he coinsnlly rr-t*rrtr*l U»t they ^rtej Mr. Petra 1 * eook far umulln t> kiniilu hii ftro uml date fowls I "*' t Tbsv crowicd of three tcctarat, a&d a uota of tome nad, in the same province, he accidentally swal* lowed sonic poisuu, and died on March If, ISltf. No one was at band who understood Or cared for his pursuits. His ordinary tangible property was sold by auction at Madura and Madras, under in- strnetionw from the Ad minis t nit or-Gencral, but all bis pajjera were lost or octroyed, • The Madras I Jternry Society thus alludes to tha Bod event* hi recording the loss u of ftcvcral of it* moat able ootttributoro, cuuung whom stood pre- cuiiiicut, for indofatigabln and sneewdftd rvseorch into the languages, history, and learning or .Son tl ip m India, for extensive knowledge, ""T iffnt and modern, Oriental and European, for accurate judgment and elegant taste, Francis Whyto Ellis. tomb tho stores hu had accumulated ? for he had resolved to dedicate hit life tw investigation until the age of forty, aud before that time to prepare nothing for communication to the world. Scarce- ly had ho completed the proscribed period ofpra* Hmiuary investigation, when death, with awful BDddetmesa, deprived tho world of the benefit of his labours. 1 ' But such n man could not posa away without leaving roiqo traces of attainments so highly esteemed by bis coutemporarlen The first article in the Transadiom of tbo Literary Society b a paper by Sir Charles Grey, uftcrwardft I Justice in Bengal, founded on q lories of tinusf on Hiiuhi Law which Mr, EIH» had read at meetings of tho Society. In introducing it. Sit Charles obacrveB, **1 have here endeavoured to give tho BubPtanca of the first lecture. The sub- ject has been treated or by Sir William Jontw, and by Mr. Oolebrooke, and by Mr. Ward, but by oi' them, as it seomM to mo, so perspicuously aa by Mr. Ellis." As drafted by Mr. Ellin the treatises filled five hnudrod folio pages, bat, having been roughly prepared for delivery* were not in a fit state to ha published, and he had intended on hii n a urn to revise them for that purpose. Some disnuesiOR having arisen with reference to proprietory right in land, particularly in tha provinces of Malabar and Canora, into which the oppressive (focal system of Muhnuitnadaa rulo had scarcely penetrated, the Madras Government, in 1012, circulated a series of question* to officers in charge of districts, requiring them to report fully on the incident* of the tenure known ns roirds, a term approaching in many respects to oar fee-simple. Although Mr. EUia was then Collector of the Rreridancy only, which afforded litTlo sco pe for Bneb inquiries, his answem were k-npth ta i aaaenr n> tb* eearmUoaa awrti ib* UinJa if? fa ^ SSPft ehaptw «* dw Moona book of Wl't ef the ian-taoka uf tbo Hladnj. *
 * ' This distinguished scholar carried to hin tmriy