xlii APPENDIX. 



bridge, tlie Royal Institution, the Medico-Botanical Society, and the Mechanics' 

 Institute. 



The East-India Company. 



As the East- India Company possess so extensive an empire in Asia, and so valuable a 

 collection of Oriental works in this country, the Committee have felt it to be their duty to 

 communicate with the Directors of that powerful body upon every occasion upon which 

 their co-operation was material, and are happy to lay before the Members of the 

 Society a detail of the circumstances which are connected with one of the communi- 

 cations, and the important resvdt to which it has led. Sir Alexander Johnston having 

 long considered it of importance to a general knowledge of Oriental literature in 

 Europe, that English translations should be made of all such Oriental works as are 

 believed to contain new or useful information, in any branch of science or literature, 

 had frequent communications upon the subject with Professor Lee, whose talents, and 

 knowledge of Oriental languages, have so justly placed him in the highest rank ol" 

 Oriental scholars in Europe ; and Sir Alexander, some months ago, received a letter 

 from the Professor, of which the annexed is a copy (see Note 1). 



Upon the receipt of this letter. Sir Alexander spoke to Mr. Lindsay, the Chairman 

 of the Court of Directors, and ascertained from him, that he agreed perfectly with 

 Mr. Lee as to the utility of the plan which he proposed ; and that he would willingly, 

 if the plan were sent to him officially, lay it before the Court. 



Sir Alexander Johnston then submitted tiie measure to the Council of the Royal 

 Asiatic Society, which, upon the motion of Sir Alexander, sent a deputation of 

 its Members, consisting of Sir Alexander Johnston, Dr. Babington, Sir R. Barclay, 

 Colonel Doyle, and A. Macklew, Esq., to the Chairman of the Court of Directors, 

 with a request that he would officially bring the subject before the Court. He 

 accordingly did so, and the Court having approved of Professor Lee's proposal, in a 

 very liberal manner voted an immediate donation of £105, and an annual subscrip- 

 tion of £105 more, in furtherance of the object of the Royal Asiatic Societj'. (See 

 Notes 2 and 3.) Sir Alexander knowing that the plan of making English translations of 

 Oriental works was very popular with many persons, who in other respects felt little 

 or no interest in questions relating to India, thought it advisable to take advantage of 

 this feeling, and consulted upon the occasion with Colonel Fitzclarence, who throughout 

 the proceedings had taken a most active and efficient part in favour of the measure. 



The Colonel immediately spoke to His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, who, 

 being satisfied of the policy of the plan, not only subscribed his own name to it, 

 but with a zeal which had always marked his patronage of the Society, adopted 

 immediate steps for ensuring the success of the measure. Sir Alexander also knowing 

 the weight which the public would justly attach to the patronage of the head of the 

 church to such a plan, obtained through Dr. D'Oyly, the patronage and subscription of 

 the Archbishop of Canterbury to it ; and a Committee has now been formed for carrying 

 it into effect, which is composed of several Members of the Society, and some of the 



