PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 201 



Earl Fitzwilliam was re-elected president. New Vice-Presidents — C. H. Elsley, 

 Esq. ; W. Gray, jun., Esq. ; Rev. C. Wellbeloved ; and R. J. Thompson, Esq. 

 New Members of Council— W. Hatfield, Esq. ; Thomas Meynell, jun., Esq. ; 

 Dr. Goldie ; Henry Smales, Esq. Treasurer — R. Davies, Esq., in the place of 

 the late lamented Alderman Gray ; Mr. W. Gray retiring from the office of 

 Secretary, Mr. Henry Robinson was elected Joint-Secretary with Professor 

 Phillips. 



The thanks of the meeting were given to Mr. William Gray, for his valuable 

 services during eleven years, and to the officers and members of the Council. — 

 York Herald. 



ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



This Society met on Saturday, Feb. 3, the Right Hon. C. W, Williams 

 Wynn, M.P., the president, in the chair. — Henry Laver, Esq., was elected a 

 resident member. Among the donations laid upon the Society's table, was a MS. 

 Persian catalogue, accompanied by a letter from Professor Forbes, the donor, 

 explanatory of its contents. The catalogue was principally valuable from con- 

 taining the names of several works unknown or believed to be lost, such as the 

 Chronicles of Talari in the original Arabic, and the Mustafa Nama, containing 

 104,000 couplets in the metre of the Shah Nameh ; and although the name of 

 the possessor, as well as the place and date, is nowhere stated, there is reason to 

 conclude that the books existed within forty or fifty years in the library of some 

 Indian prince ; this inference may be drawn from the circumstance of " His Sublime 

 Highness" being named in the catalogue, and from many of the books being in 

 the Hindustani language, and of recent date. — A paper by Lieut. Postans, " On 

 a Sect of Yogis in Cutch, known by the name of Kanphatis," was then read 

 to the meeting. The Kanphatis reside in an extensive range of buildings near 

 Danodhar, where their creed and practice is to give food and shelter to all persons 

 demanding it, of whatever caste or sect, and without limit as to time and quan- 

 tity. Their numbers are few, and they bind themselves to a life of celibacy, 

 but their charities are large, and they have considerable revenues to enable them 

 to comply with the very liberal rules of their order. The chief of the Kanphatis 

 is understood to derive great dignity from his office, and he is not obliged to return 

 a salute or answer a question from any one, not even from the Raja of Cutch. 

 This sect has its peculiar name from the immense ear-rings which its members 

 wear, by which their ears are nearly burst. The words khan and phati meaning 

 " ear-burst." Lieutenant Postans was received by these people in the most 

 obliging manner, and was shown every thing of interest in their establishment. 

 A portrait of the present chief of the Kanphatis, and a drawing of one of the 

 immense cauldrons in which rice is boiled for the numerous applicants upon their 



vol. in. — NO. xix. 2 E 



