42 R. R. Bay ne— Excavations on site of Old Fort William. [Feb., 



• The President announced that, in accordance with the notice given 

 at the December meeting, the votes would now be taken on the proposed 

 amendments to Rules 15 and 61. 



Dr. H. Cayley and Mr. G. A. Grierson were appointed Scrutineers and 

 reported that the votes were unanimously in favour of the amendments. 

 The PiiESiDENT announced that the amendments were carried. 



The Secretaey reported that Dr. D. Brandis had compounded for all 

 future subscriptions by paying a commutation fee of Rs. 120. 



The Council reported that, in consequence of the general wish express- 

 ed in the discussion which took place after the reading of Mr. Bayne's pa- 

 per at the last meeting, the Secretary had written a letter to the Govern- 

 ment of Bengal requesting the Lieutenant Governor to order further ex- 

 cavations to be made with a view to fixing the remaining sites in old Fort 

 William definitely, and to direct tablets to be erected at the more important 

 points. A reply had been received from the Assistant Secretary to the 

 Government of Bengal, P. W. D., enclosing a copy of a letter from the 

 Secretary to the Government of Bengal, P. W. D., to the Superintendent 

 of Works, Calcutta, ordering the excavations to be made and tablets to be 

 erected at a cost not to exceed Rs. 300. 



The Secretaey read the following note by Mr. R. R. Bayne on some 

 further discoveries made by him on the site of old Port William during 

 the laying down of the water-pipe through the Custom House premises : — 



Since the last meeting of the Society, the laying of the water pipe 

 through the Custom House premises has been carried out. I fortunately 

 returned to Calcutta ou\y the day before they began the excavation about 

 the site marked on m}'- plan shewing the earth-work Ravelin alluded to by 

 Orme. The Tram-lines cross this spot and the excavation of a piece 

 about 40 feet in length was made at night. I made it my duty to watch it 

 and only left on completion of the excavation after two o'clock at night or 

 rather morning. I was more than rewarded, for here undoubtedly was the 

 excavation alluded to by Orme most distinctly shewn in full section of the 

 ditch, 30 feet wide, v^rith sloping sides of 20 feet on the Fort side and 10 

 feet on the side towards the country beyond. A plan of the position of 

 the section I have partly prepared whilst my notes are fresh : this I will 

 complete ultimately. The trench in which the water pipe was laid only 

 went down 6 feet below road level : I was, however, kindly lent some coolies 

 by the pipe layer and, at the lowest place indicated by the sloping lines of 

 the ditch side, I had a further excavation made 2'-9" deep and to the bottom 

 of the ditch. I inferred it was bottom because brick debris were wanting 

 and it was all clay : this 2'-9" also brought me into water. 



