May, 1914.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Soc. of Bengal. Ixwix 



by one of the many distinguished investigators who are 

 present in this assembly and who have devoted the best of 

 their lives exclusivelv to the work of the advancement of 

 Science. Let me assure you, however, that although I am 

 deficient in many respects, I yield to none in an anxious desire 

 to promote those objects for the attainment of which this 

 Congress has been convened. 



We meet in this historic building on the anniversary of a 

 date ever memorable in the annals of research, scientific and 

 philological, in the British Empire in the East, for it was just 

 one hundred and thirty years ago, on the 15th of January, 

 1784, that the Asiatic Society was founded by Sir William 

 Jones, one of the most gifted of the many noble sons of 

 Britain who have devoted their lives to the cause of the 

 advancement of knowledge amongst the people of this land. 

 The Asiatic Society thus founded has been throughout its long 

 career the principal source of inspiration in the organization 

 and advancement of scientific research of every description in 

 this country, and it is eminently befitting that the first meet- 

 ing of the Indian Science Congress should be held in th< 

 rooms of the Soceity and directly under its auspices. It is 

 further fortunate that we should be able to hold the Congress 

 simultaneously with the celebration of the centenary of the 

 foundation of the Indian Museum, which had its origin in the 

 activities of the members of the Asiatic Society, and which by 

 the invaluable work of its scientific officers in various depart- 

 ments has justly attained world-wide reputation. The times 

 are manifestly favourable to the establishment of an Indian 

 Science Congress, and I trust I may rely upon your indul- 

 gence, while I briefly narrate how the idea to hold such a 

 Congress originated, took shape and was developed. 



It is now more than two years ago that Professor Mac- 

 Mahon of the Canning College at Lucknow, and Professor 

 Simonson of the Presidency College at Madras, brought for- 

 ward a proposal for the foundation of an Indian Association 

 for the Advancement of Science. The object and scope of the 

 proposed Institution were stated to be similar to those of the 

 British Association for the Advancement of Science, namely, 

 to give a stronger impulse and a more systematic direction to 

 scientific enquiry, to promote the intercourse of Societies and 

 individuals interested in Science in different parts of the 

 country, to obtain a more general attention to the objects of 

 Pure and Applied Science and the removal of any disadvan- 

 tages of a public kind which may impede its progress. Tins 

 proposal was widely circulated amongst persons of culture 

 interested in the spVead and development of Science in this 

 country, and the fundamental idea, as might easily have been 

 anticipated, met with favourable reception. The scholars 

 approached were not slow to recognize the desirability of co- 



