Dr. Giles Fletcher, who was Envoy of Queen Elizabeth, at the Court of the Czar of Muscovy, has assigned as the principal residence of the descendants of the Ten Tribes. He argues from their place, from the name of their cities, from their language, which contains Hebrew and Chaldaic words, and from their peculiar rites which are Jewish. Their principal city Samarchand is pronounced Samarchian, which Dr. Fletcher thinks, might be a name given by the Israelites after their own Samaria in Palestine. (See Israel Redux, p. 12.) Benjamin of Tudela, who travelled into this country, in the twelfth century, and afterwards published his Itinerary, says, "In Samarchand, the city of Tamerlane, "there are 50,000 Jews under the presidency of “Rabbi Obadiah: and in the mountains and cities "of Nisbor, there are four tribes of Israel resi“dent, viz. Dan, Zabulon Asher, and Naphhali."* It is remarkable that the people of Zagathai should be constantly called Ephthalites and Nephthalites by the Byzantine writers, who alone had any information concerning them.† The fact seems to be, that, if from Babylon as a

*See Benjamini Itinerarium, p. 97.

+ Theophanes, p. 79.

centre, you describe a segment of a circle, from the northern shore of Caspian Sea to the heads of the Indus, you will enclose the territories. containing the chief body of the dispersed tribes

of Israel.

This design of Dr. Leyden to superintend the translation of the Scriptures in SEVEN new languages, marks the liberal views, and the enterprising and ardent mind of that scholar, and will be hailed by the friends of Christianity in Europe as a noble undertaking, deserving their utmost eulogy and patronage. It will give pleasure to all those who have hitherto taken any interest in "the restoration of learning in the East," to see that the College of Fort-William is producing such excellent fruit. May its fame be perpetual !*

* There are now several Orientalists, members of the Asiatic Society, who have been engaged in translating the Holy Scriptures. We hope hereafter to see the name of Mr. Colebrooke added to the number. Mr. C. is the Father of Shanscrit Literature, and has lately published an Essay on the Shanscrit Poetry and Metres. How much gratified should we be to see a version of the Pentateuch from his pen! or at least a Critique on the New Testament, which has been already translated into Shanscrit. Mr. C. is the proper man to oppose the Pentateuch to the Hindoo Cosmogony, and to invite the Brahmins to contemplate the Mosaic Records, in classical Shanscrit. This

THE BIBLIOTHECA BIBLICA
IN BENGAL.

THE Bibliotheca Biblica is a Repository for Bibles in the Oriental Languages, and for Bibles only. They are here deposited for sale, at moderate prices; and lists of the various versions are sent to remote parts of Asia, that individuals may know where to purchase them; the commerce from the port of Calcutta rendering the transmission of books extremely easy. Those

who desire to have copies for gratuitous distribution, are supplied at the cost prices. This institution is under the immediate superintendence of the Rev. David Brown, late Provost of the College of Fort-William: and it is supported by

would be a work worthy of his great erudition; and his name, as a Shanscrit Scholar, would then, indeed, live for ever. Mr. Colebrooke has ever shewn kindness to the humble Missionaries, who have been cultivating the Shanscrit Tongue; he has supplied them with books, and afforded them every liberal aid; it will give him no regret, at his last hour, to think that he has had it in his power, in any degree, to promote the cause of Christianity.

all the translators of the Bible in India, who send in their versions, and by the College of Fort-William, which sends in its versions.

There have been already deposited in the Bibliotheca Biblica four thousand volumes, in the following languages;

These translations have been chiefly furnished by the following persons;

Dr. WILLIAM CAREY and Mr. JOSHUA MARSHMAN; two men, whose names will probably go down to the latest posterity in India, as faithful translators of the Holy Scriptures. These have furnished the Shanscrit, Bengalee, Orissa, and Mahratta.

NATHANEAL SABAT, from Arabia, has contributed the Persian. The first Persian translation (which is also in the Bibliotheca) was made by the late Lieutenant-Col. COLEBROOK, Sur veyor-General in Bengal; and it "blesses his memory.'

MIRZA FITRUT furnishes the Hindoostanee There is another Hindoostanee translation by the Missionaries at Serampore; and

Mr. JOANNES LASSAR is author of the Chinese.

There will be a large accession to this honourable catalogue in a year or two. It is astonishing how much this simple Institution, like the Bible Society in England, has attracted the attention of the public, Native and European, wherever it has been announced. The Superintendants have recently sent to England for the following supply of Bibles, which is now collecting for them, viz.