The Beautiful Tree: Indigenous Indian Education in the Eighteenth Century c5.s17.14

c5.s17.14

13. The lighter kind of stories which are read for amusement, are generally the *Punchatantra*, *Bhatalapunchavansatee*, *Punklee Soopooktahuller*, *Mahantarungenee*. The books on the principles of the vernacular languages themselves, are the several dictionaries and grammars, such as the *Nighantoo*, *Umara*, *Subdamumbured*, *Shubdeemunee Durpana*, *Vyacurna Andradeepeca*, *Andhranamasungraha*, etc., etc., but these last, and similar books, which are most essential, and, without which, no accurate or extensive knowledge of the vernacular languages can be attained, are, from the high price of manuscripts and the general poverty of the masters, of all books, the most uncommon in the Native Schools; and such of them which are found there are in consequence of the ignorance, carelessness, and indolence of copyists in general, full of blunders, and in every way most incorrect and imperfect.