the application of the first power is direct and unembarrassed with the friction of machinery, all other things being equal. 26. I know of one method only by which the common Bhowrie and Pickotta might be made to perform more work in an equal time, but as this paper is sufficiently long, I reserve for a future communication what I may have to say on that point. MADRAS, 1st February, 1834. } MECHANICUS. III.-Translation of an Extract from Tohfet al Akbar; or, a history of the Rulers, Rajahs and Jaghiredars of the Carnatic. By an Officer of the Madras Army. SIR, To The Secretary of the Madras Literary Society. I beg to forward you two literally translated extracts from a Persian work in manuscript, written about the year 1821, intitled the "Tohfet al Akbar," and which purports to be a history of the Rulers, Rajahs, and Jaghiredars of the Carnatic. These extracts profess to pourtray the characters of two eminent men, whose names will live in the history of India, Sir Thomas Munro and Sir John Malcolm--and, as genuine specimens of the persian literature of the present day, and not without intrinsic merit, they may probably be thought worthy of insertion in the Madras Literary Journal. They possess, however, much greater interest as exhibiting the unbiassed sentiments of a native of India on the qualities and virtues of those distinguished individuals, whose acts have had such an influential effect on the destinies of India, and the establishment of the AngloIndian empire. These translations are from the pen of a young Madras Officer, a friend of mine, now serving abroad, whose talents and attainments as an orientalist are, I am happy to say, gradually becoming appreciated. In furnishing them to me he has forbidden my publishing them with his name, or I should have sent them to you under it, and without this preface from myself. I have the honor to be, MADRAS, 7th Jan. 1834. } Sir, Your very obedient Servant. Mention of Colonel Thomas Munro, his habits and employments. "This humblest of mortals, at a remote period when Colonel Thomas Munro was a Quarter Master of Brigade, was acquainted with his quickness of comprehension and sound judgment; and knew him to be well skilled in the languages of Persia and India ; it is not likely at the present time that these languages are obliter. ated from the page of his memory." "His disposition was bent on rectitude of conduct and seeking out justice." "He took great pains in the acquirement of Persian and translated difficult and abstruse epistles without the assistance of a Moonshee and comprehended their purport with great celerity." "In Lord Hobart's time he was appointed to the collectorship of Bellary." "It has been heard, from persons worthy of credit, that Colonel Munro was indefatigable in the performance of his duties as collector of Beilary and transacted public business in so satisfactory a manner that not a murmur was ever heard to escape the lips of the Ryots." "He was accustomed to hear and decide in person Zillah matters, and never suffered any negligence to occur in the investigation and administration of justice to the oppressed and finished all matters of business with dispatch." To a knowledge of the duties of his office he added the qualities of bravery and courage." "He was employed several years in the collectorship of Cuddapah. Although, four years ago Colonel Munro was appointed in Europe to a high station and returned to this country with Governor Elliot, and endeavoured, to the utmost of his power, to introduce a system, invented by himself, into the management of the affairs of the Carnatic and the Balaghat, yet, through want of unanimity and concurrence of several gentlemen of confined views, the wise designs of Colonel Munro made no further progress and the system, he had set his heart upon, came not into practice." "On this account he became constantly thoughtful and amazed and eventually, a short time ago, departed to Europe in this state of grief." The Colonel is a man of patience and penetration. Thanks be to Allah! it has been heard from persons worthy of belief that he is coming out as Governor of Madras. Sir John Malcolm. "Sir John Malcolm is one of the exalted of Europe. It is necessary to premise that a description of the beauties of his noble vir tues and lordly generosity is far beyond the scope of my pen. Lofty minded he values the wealth of the world as worthless gravel " "Eminently wise he enters into the comprehension of weighty matters and accomplishes them with ease and facility." "The power of his presence and conversation is so great that after one or two interviews the stony heart (of his hearer) melting as wax yeilds and is moulded accordingly." "Anterior to these times, Sir John Malcolm, through reason of superior capability and fitness, has at three different periods travelled to the regions of Tsfahan and transacted the affairs of the Company to their satisfaction, and has on several occasions been admitted into the presence of Futteh Ali Shah, King of Iran, and honored and exalted by his princely munificence." "The high born Oomras and inhabitants of Iran were beyond bounds desirous of his society. In journeying to Iran he experienced many dangers and difficulties. By bestowing "Nazrs" and Maums he is celebrated for generosity and liberality." "The Persian language falls from his lips with the perfection of eloquence, he is also acquainted with the languages of India-in addition to perfection of knowledge he possesses the gem of valor and courage. In diplomacy and political affairs, he is sagacious and discerning." "Notwithstanding his elevated rank he is entirely divest of pride and self importance; and manifests to his confidants more kindness and condescension than a father." "He is naturally partial to travelling and field sports, and esteems a good horseman." "He exerts himself to the utmost in completing any matter to which he has once turned his attention. He regards with a favorable eye the just privileges of old servants, and never rejects a beggar from the door of his wealth. "In the society of his equals Sir John Malcolm evinces such warmth and vivacity that every individual becomes desirous of his company and eloquent in his praise." "In short, this historian has never, at any time observed the brow of this celebrated chief ruffled but at all times unclouded and his countenance cheerful." "In Governor Elliot's time the seizure of the Mahratta country which was fallen into the hands of the Company was entirely brought about by his agency." "Although this destitute (the writer) during his lifetime has met face to face many chiefs the like of Sir John Malcolm he has never seen." QUATRAIN. "General Malcolm is the benefactor of the age "His good name is as the sun to the world; "O God! continually increase his life and prosperity We have much pleasure, at the request of a Subscriber, in giving insertion to the following interesting letter extracted from the Cape of Good Hope Literary Gazette.-Ed. IV. MARINE BAROMETER, THEORY OF STORMS, ETC. To the Editor of the Literary Gazette. Newlands, 18th June, 1833. SIR,-I should on no account have acceded to your request of me to sanction the re-publication of a letter which appeared in the South African Chronicle nearly nine years ago, for I have not the vanity to think that any production of my pen can be worth a second perusal, had I not been influenced by the following considerations which you have so particularly brought under my notice ;first, that there are many gentlemen from India now in this colony for whose character and acquirements I have a high respect, who have expressed a desire to this effect,-secondly, that some of the arguments and facts it contains have been deemed of sufficient importance to require a more extended promulgation. Under these circumstances, I have the pleasure to send the letter referred to, revised, and very much at your service. Without, therefore, any further preface, I shall proceed to my remarks on the Marine Barometer. I am, myself, apt to set so high a value on this instrument, from its affording an infallible indication of those dreadful hurricanes, which are so prevalent in the West Indies, the China Seas, the Bay of Bengal, and other parts of the Indian ocean, especially in that part comprised within the islands of Java, Sumatra, and the Isle of France, that I think, any information tending to elucidate its advantages, cannot be too widely promulgated. Every one at all acquainted with the mechanism of a Barometer, is aware that its construction originated in a discovery, that the mean density of the atmosphere is capable of supporting a column of mercury equal to about thirty inches in length, hence it follows that every deviation of the quicksilver from this height, is the result of a correspondent change, in the actual gravity of the surrounding atmosphere, the trifling effect of the cohesive properties of the tube being duly allowed for. But although this may be sufficiently evident to a common observer, it is certain that these changes depend upon so many hidden causes, and are generally so minute that they are scarcely perceptible to the eye, and are frequently unaccompanied by any visible change of the weather. It is a well established fact, that the Barometer undergoes but little or no variation throughout the region of the tropics, unless when it happens to be under the influence of an approaching hurricane, and then it is no less certain that the quicksilver falls rapidly and considerably, a natural consequence it would seem, of the origin of these storms, which exceed in violence those of the more boisterous climates of Europe, as much as the situations in which they are generated, at other times exceed them in mildness. An infinite scope still remains for a philosophical inquiry into the theory of winds, nor have I yet met with any satisfactory explanation of the course of these awful phenomena in the heavens. If I may presume to venture an opinion on so abstruse a subject, I should say that a tropical hurricane is produced by the rays of a vertical sun acting upon some portion of the atmosphere that happens to be unusually loaded with the electric matter so abundantly generated within a few degrees of the equator, whereby a rapid rarefaction of the circumjacent atmosphere takes place, repelling in its escape the surrounding air, until the existing cause has exhausted its influence, when a reaction commences, by the condensed air rushing towards the centre of the atmospheric rarefaction until the equilibriam is restored. If this theory should prove to be well founded, it would, perhaps, sufficiently account for the great and sudden falling of the quicksilver on such extraordinary occasions; but, as Dr. Franklin very justly observes, in his Treatise on Electricity, "it is not of much importance to know the manner in which nature executes her laws; it is enough if we know the laws themselves;" so it may be said, that on all these occasions, whatever may be the immediate cause of the fall, provided we are aware of what is to follow, we are furnished with all the requisite information to guard us against the |