254, K. J. STATHAM, ESQ., ASSOC. M.INST.C.E., ON 
Majesty’s deep interest in the religious and intellectual 
welfare of her subjects. 
‘They desire at the same time to tender to Your Majesty the 
humble expression of their devoted loyalty, and pray that 
God may long preserve Your Majesty’s life in health and 
happiness, to rule over a loyal, contented, and prosperous 
people.” 
It was moved by the Rev. Prebendary Wacr, D.D., and seconded 
by Davip Howarp, Esq., D.L., and carried unanimously, that the 
above Address be adopted. 
The following paper by E. J. Statham, Assoc. M.Inst.C.E., entitled 
“Ancient Script in Australia,” was then read by the Secretary in the 
absence of the Author. 
ANCIENT SCRIPT, IN AUSTRALETA, By Meese 
STATHAM, Esq., Assoc. M.Inst.C.K. 
ORE than half a century has elapsed since the late Sir 
George Grey’s discovery of the remarkable drawings 
illustrated in the Right Rev. §. Thornton’s paper on 
“Problems of Aboriginal Art in Australia” (Transactions of the 
Victoria Institute, Vol. XXX, page 205); yet it appears that 
only now is the great interest and value of those records 
becoming apparent. 
Since the publication of the volume of proceedings of the 
Brisbane Session of the Australian Association for the 
Advancement of Science—from which Dr. Thornton’s illus- 
trations are derived—another Session of the Association has 
been held at Sydney (proceedings not yet published), and 
an interesting paper contributed by Professor John Campbell, 
LL.D., of Montreal, on “Syllabic Characters on a Cave 
Painting on the Glenelg River, N.W. Australia,” was read 
before the Section devoted to ethnology and anthropology. 
The characters treated of are those shown in figure 4 of 
Dr. Thornton’s paper. 
To ascertain the meaning of these characters Dr. Fraser, 
LL.D., of Sydney, submitted a copy of the figure to the 
professor, who unhesitatingly pronounced the characters on 
the head to be old Japanese, earlier than the twelfth century 
