150 Royal Society. 
thence he received orders to return home with his own despatches, 
and was received most cordially in England. His travels were now 
published, and met a most hearty welcome. They were immediately 
translated into the French and German languages, the best proof of 
their merit and importance being appreciated in other countries be- 
sides his own. He was warmly welcomed by the Royal Asiatic 
Society ; and the French and English Geographical Societies be- 
stowed on him their respective medals. 
He enriched the national collection of the British Museum by 
presenting it with a collection of oriental coins. 
After staying a year and a half in Europe, he returned to the East, 
and on his second arrival in India, he was sent on a mission to 
Hydrabad, which was entirely successful. The next, and unfortu- 
nately the last public duty in which he was employed was in a 
mission to Cabul, where those political events occurred which oc- 
casioned his falling a victim in his country’s service at the early 
age of 36. 
Such is a brief statement of the very active life of a man endowed 
by nature with an extraordinary variety of powers. Personally 
active and enterprising, he united to the qualities of the accom- 
plished soldier and statesman those of the philologist and philoso- 
pher. What might we not have hoped from such a man, if Provi- 
dence had seen right to prolong his days! 
Sir Alexander was of a lively and playful disposition, and most 
amiable in private life. He was one of the best of sons and kindest 
of brothers. 
GerorGE FirzcLARENCE, EArt oF Munster, was born January 
29, 1794. He entered the army at an early age, and served in the 
Peninsular war. He afterwards went to India, where he assiduously 
and successfully studied the Sanscrit, Arabic, and Persian languages. 
In 1818 he was entrusted with despatches announcing the conclusion 
of the Mahratta war; he seized the opportunity of acquiring and 
imparting additional knowledge, and travelled home by an overland 
route, publishing an account of his journey. He was created Earl 
of Munster soon after the accession of his late Majesty, William the 
Fourth. 
Shortly after his return from India, he was elected a Vice-Presi- 
dent of the Asiatic Society, and by his personal exertions procured 
much valuable information on oriental geography and statistics, and 
on the natural productions of India. He subsequently took a very 
active part in promoting the Oriental Translation Fund, and also the 
Society for the publication of Oriental Texts, and the Association 
formed for the purpose of increasing our knowledge of the countries 
south of Egypt. For the last fourteen years, he devoted great la- 
bour to the collection of materials for the compilation of a military 
history, and history of the civilization of the Mahommedan nations. 
Of this elaborate and important work, which was nearly completed, 
a long and interesting account is given in the Asiatic Journal. It 
is to be hoped that the friends of Lord Munster will not allow these 
labours to have been performed in vain. 
