DISCOURSE 



ON THE 



INSTITUTION OF A SOCIETY 



FOR INQUIRING INTO THE 



HISTORY, CIVIL AND NATURAL, 



THE 



ANTIQUITIES, ARTS, SCIENCES, 

 AND LITERATURE, 



OF 



ASIA. 



BY THE PRESIDENT. 



• ■ 



Gentlemen, 



WHEN I was at fea laft Auguft, on my 

 voyage to this country, which I had long 

 and ardently defired to yifit, 1 found one evening, 

 on infpecting the obfervations of the day, that 

 India lay before us, and Perjia on our left, whilft 

 a breeze from Arabia blew nearly on our flern. 

 A fituation fo pleafmg in itfelf, and to me fo new, 

 could not Fail to awaken a train of reflections in a 

 mind which had early been accuftomed to con- 

 template with delight, the eventful hiftories and 

 agreeable fictions of this eaflern world. It gave 

 me inexpremble pleafure to find myfelf in the 

 midft of fo noble an amphitheatre, almoft en- 

 circled by the vaft regions of-AJia, which has ever 



been 



