undistinguished mixture of text and commentaiy, and in some places it even refers to Euclid. But to infer at once from this that every thing in the book was derived from Greek or Arabian writers, or that it was inseparably mixed, would be reasoning too hastily. A little patience will discover evidence of the algebra which it contains, being purely Hindoo [1].
The following paper consists of an account of this translation, and some notes which I shall now mention:
Mr. Davis, the well-known author of two papers on Indian Astronomy in the Asiatic Researches, made, many years ago, in India, some abstracts and translations from the original Sansciit Bija Ganita [2] , and it is greatly to be regretted that he did not complete a translation of the whole. The papers which contain his notes had long since been mislaid and forgotten. They have been but very lately found, and I gladly avail myself of Mr Davis's permission to make use of them here. The chief part of them is inserted at the end of my account of the Persian translation. To prevent misconception about these notes, it is proper for me to observe that in making them Mr. Davis had no other object than to inform himself generally of the nature of the Blja Ganita; they were not intended probably to be seen by any second person; certainly they were never proposed to convey a perfect idea of the work, or to be exhibited before the public in any shape. Many of them are on loose detached pieces of paper, and it is probable that, from the time they were written till they came into my hands, they were never looked at again. But nevertheless it will be seen that they do, without doubt, describe accurately a considerable portion of the most curious parts of the Bija Ganita; and though they may seem to occupy but a secondary place here, they will be found of more importance than all the rest of this work together.
They shew positively that the main part of the Persian translation is taken from
- ↑ The late Mr. Reuben Burrow in one of his papers in the Asiatic Researches says, he made translations of the Bija Ganita and Lilavati. Those translations he left to Mr. Dalby. They consist of fair copies in Persian of Ata Allah's and Fyzee's translations, wiih the English ot each word written above the Persian. The words being tluis translated separately, without any regard to thC meaning of complete sentences, not a single passage can be made out. It is plain, from many short notes which Mr. Burrow has written in the margin of bis Bija Ganita, that lie made his verbal translation by the help of a Moonshee, ami that he had the original Sanscrit at hand, with some opportimily of consulting it occasionally. lam much obliged to Mr. Dalby for allowing me the use of Mr. Burrow's copy w hich has enabled me to supply deficiencies in mine; and it is otherwise interesting, because it shews that Mr. Burrow had access to the original Sanscrit (probably by means of a Moonshee and a Pundit) and compared it with the Persian.
- ↑ It is to be remarked that they were made from the Sanscrit only. Mr. Davis never saw the Persian translation.
