XXXIV Presidential Address. [February, 1911, 
Huntington, who has given photographic reproductions of them 
in his book ‘‘ The Pulse of Asia.’’ The peculiar interest of 
these manuscripts lies in the fact that, although they are 
written in the ancient Gupta character, the language has so far 
resisted the efforts of those who have endeavoured to decipher 
it ; and it is to be hoped that to some of the learned scholars 
whom we number among our members will fall the honour of 
making known to the world of letters the meaning of this an- 
The Fellows were, in the first instance, nominated by the Coun- 
cil, whose selection seems to have met with general approval ; 
but subsequent nominations, as on the present occasion, are 
in the hands of the Fellows already elected. There can, I 
think, be no doubt that the honour thus conferred is, and will 
continue to be, a valuable incentive in carrying out those 
a rien to the prosecution of which the Society is devo- 
te 
_ It has also been resolved, as a consequence of this innova- 
tion, to substitute for the time-honoured designation 0 
or 
been unbroken for more than sixty years, and 
of life is almost coeval with that of the building in which we 
are now assembled. 
: aving thus, very inadequately I fear, drawn your atten- 
tion to some of the events of the past year, I think that it 
would not be inappropriate on the present occasion to glance 
forward ;—and for this reason especially, that we are about to 
take a step, the importance of which can hardly be overrated, 
perhaps one of the most momentous in the long and distin- 
guished history of the Society. The building in which out 
meetings have been held for just over a hundred years, and for 
so long has been one of the landmarks of Calcutta, has for 
some time been in so unsound a state that to continue to how 
