Showing 5 results

The main item in these papers is the Letter Book, complied by Richard Macan concerned with the sale of the estate of the late Major Turner Macan. There is also a note written by Richard Macan and some modern research notes on the Letter Book and Turner Macan's biography.

The Papers of P.E. Roberts consists of lists extracted from the India Office Letter Books for 1702 to 1753. These handwritten lists detail, for each year, all the East India Company ships sent out from Britain, their tonnage, the destination of each and the value of the cargo.

With the lists are two typed letters from Roberts to William Harrison Moreland, sent from Worcester College, Oxford. The first, dated 12 January 1924, explains that Roberts had been looking through old papers and had come across the lists which he had made about 23 years ago. Feeling he would not use them, he was about to dispose of them when he thought Moreland might find them helpful. He therefore asks if Moreland would like them. Roberts also comments on his admiration for Moreland's books on Indian Economic History.

In the second letter, dated 15 January 1924, Roberts thanks Moreland for his letter and writes to send him the extracts. Roberts recalls that he was working for Sir William Hunter at that time he made the lists and, that subsequently, he found the lists were accurate according to Hardy's Shipping Register.

These Papers consist of a single item - the handwritten manuscript of Heyne's Report on Mysore, detailing information collected by Heyne during Colin Mackenzie's Mysore Survey of 1800, on which Heyne was assistant to Francis Buchanan. The manuscript starts with an apology for having produced the report whilst suffering from ill-health and sets out that the report "may fairly be considered as an enumeration of things deserving to be enquired into and as a prospect of what consequences an investigation of them would be if under favourable auspices and in better hands." It considers climate, earthquakes and other phenomena, produce and production, rivers and lakes, mineral springs, topography, mineral deposits, birds, fish and animals, coins, commerce, languages and culture. The title page states, "Presented by John Hodgson Esq., June 16 1827, Keyne's report on Mysore" and the label states, "Catalogue of English MSS IV No 15., Heyne's Report on Mysore presented by John Hodgson Esq., MRAS".
Handwritten, on loosely bound and loose papers, 93 sides plus further title page and cover label, probably dating to 1800 or shortly after.

The Report seems to be a manuscript of part of Tracts, Historical and Statistical on India; with Journals of Several Tours through Various Parts of the Peninsula: Also an Account of Sumatra in a Series of Letters by Benjamin Heyne, published in London, 1814.

There are three Chinese documents concerning trade and interaction with the English. With the documents are English abstracts and modern Chinese translations created in 2018.

The 'Aja'ib al Tabaqat' (Wonders of the Universe) is a Persian text that was purchased by Sir Alexander Burnes in the Bazar of Bukhara 1832. This translation lists the author of the 'Aja'ib al Tabaqat' as 'Muhammad Tahir, son of Abul Qasim.' The 'Aja'ib al Tabaqat' is part of the 'aja'ib' genre in medieval Islamic literature, 'aja'ib' meaning 'marvelous, strange or unusual.' The 'aja'ib' genre consists of discussions on the marvels of the world and often contain cosmographical content. The 'Aja'ib al Tabaqat' includes a creation story, accounts of Islamic prophets and descriptions of various countries and cities. Sir Legrand's translation states the original text by Muhammad Tahir son of Abul Qasim, was written in 1819.

The text consists of one hardbound volume of handwritten text. It is an incomplete manuscript in that Sir Legrand Jacob has omitted various sections in his translation, indicating where he has done so. The pastedowns include text in another language.
The volume contains a pencil drawing of a temple titled 'A temple near […]' At the beginning of the text is a handwritten letter from Sir Legrand Jacob, dated 'Kutch, June 20 1853' which states that in his opinion, the text was not worth translating but he reluctantly complied to the request from the Oriental Translation Committee and translated it. This letter mentions Sir Gore Ouseley.