586 



The Rev. Dr. Todd exhibited a Sikh manuscript, called the 

 Gorund, the gift of Joseph Burke, Esq., Assistant Surgeon 

 of the 40th Regiment, to the library of the Academy. An 

 accompanying letter from the donor stated that the manu- 

 script had been found on the battle-field of Aliwal, one of the 

 recently fought Indian engagements. It was in the Sanscrit 

 character, quite perfect, and in excellent preservation. 



The Rev. Dr. Todd read a letter from the Rev. Dr. Spratt, 

 forwarding a donation to the museum of a carved figure of the 

 Virgin and child, found at Donabate ; also an antique bell, 

 which had been discovered in Kildare, beneath the site of an 

 ancient building, in siaking the foundation for the chapel. 



The President communicated the second series of the re- 

 sults of observations made at the magnetical observatory of 

 Trinity College. 



The Rev. Samuel Haughton, F. T. C. D., read a paper on 

 an instrument termed a friction sledge, for stopping railway 

 carriages at termini or side hues, invented by Mr. Wilfred 

 Haughton, and containing an account of some theoretical de- 

 ductions drawn from accurate experiments made with the 

 sledge, by permission of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway 

 Company, at the Ringsend Docks. 



Mr. Hancock made some remarks on the great expense of 

 obtaining protection for such inventions, owing to the present 

 state of the law of patents. The cost of taking out a patent 

 for the invention of Mr. Haughton would be, in England, 

 £110 ; in Ireland, £135 ; and in Scotland, £75 ; being above 

 £300 altogether. Although an investigation would answer 

 for the three countries, yet the law of patents was such that 



