Proceedings of the Society. <xxYit< 



consideration a philological quf^slion raised by Mr. Crawford on 

 the introduction of the Malay idiom into Madagascar. Mr. Craw- 

 ford sayg that the Committee has not in many respects under- 

 siood the object of bis letter to the Under-Secretary of Stale, 

 Mr. Hawes, and that his purpose was merely 'o ascertain whe her, 

 since the occupation of M uritius by the English, any iuiihtntic 

 instance can be oioduced of Prodis hiving departei from Suma- 

 tra, or any oiher Malay Isbmd, wi h living human beings on 

 board, and having been shipwreck-'d on he Cousi of MaJagHScar. 



» Mr. Crawford, perseveres in his opinion hist Ih sfact is le- 

 lated in some English piie s »s h ivii g happene I someiwin;y 

 years ago. The rese irches of the Commiiif, 1 st ye. r ieJ to no 

 di'scovey bearing any ielai:on !o he above-mentioned fact, but 

 this is no reason to discontinue (hem. 



n The Secretary has laid befoie ihe Society a few plans of for- 

 tilication forming part of a system imagined by the late Mr. J. 

 Hugon, a native of Mauritius. Ths Soci ly thought it would be 

 interesting 10 preserve in iis records i hose I'rtgmenis of a work 

 which cosi its Au hor a great deal of troub e, he having devoted 

 to it, wilhoutai yremuneiation, the greiter pait of his ex s'.enee. 



t Various Memoirs of more or less direct inle.esl have been 

 read or communicaiecl at y' ur sittings. 



» Mr. C:ibli Ion, who applies wih great ardour to qut^siions 

 relating to the general natural ^ hiiosn[)liy of i he Globe, has sub- 

 mitted to you a work entitle I n Disquisitiom Meteor ologiquest, in 

 which he has criticised both ihc wuik of Mr. Heiuy Pidding- 

 teii, and the notes which accompany (he Fren h translation of 

 ii lately published in this Island, whilst at tlie same time, 

 he piopost's anew system explanatory of the cause and mecha- 

 nism of Tempests. 



1 Mr. Castillon has also addressed a Memoir lo you in whifh 

 he enters inio a learneJ dissertation on the phenorneivon of the 

 evaporation of vater, which he lookj upon as the principal 

 cause of electricity upon the earth, 



