1835.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 407 



VI. — Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 

 Wednesday Evening, 5th August, 1835. 



The Honorable Sir Edward Ryan, President, in the Chair. 



Mr. C. Binny, proposed at the last meeting, was balloted for, and duly 

 elected a Member of the Society. 



The Secretary read the following reply from Government, to the appli* 

 cation made, in conformity with the resolution of last meeting. 

 To the Honorable Sir Edward Ryan, Knt. 



President of the Asiatic Society. 

 Honorable Sir, 



I am directed by the Governor General of India in Council, to acknow- 

 ledge the receipt of your letter, communicating the request of the Asiatic 

 Society, that the whole of the Oriental Works, the publication of which, 

 at the expence of the Fund for Education, has lately been discontinued by 

 order of Government, and those that have been reserved by Government 

 for completion, may be made over to the Asiatic Society, with a view to 

 their completion, at the expence and under the superintendence of the 

 Society. 



2. The Governor General in Council is glad to accede to the wishes 

 of the Society, and the necessary Instructions will be issued to the General 

 Committee of Public Instruction, to transfer the publications accordingly. 



I have the honor to be, &c. 



Council Chamber, \ (Signed) G. A. Bushry, 



the 15th July, 1835. J Secretary to Government. 



Referred to the Committee of Papers, who will take measures for the 

 receipt and accommodation of the Books, and for the immediate continua- 

 tion of the works now in the press. Resolved also, that a book of sub- 

 scriptions be circulated among the members, with a Prospectus specifying 

 the price of each work. 



Read the following letter from the Honorable Mr. George Turnour, 

 of Ceylon, acknowledging his election as an Honorary Member. 



To the Secretary to the Bengal Asiatic Society, Calcutta. 

 Sir, 



t beg to express my gratified acknowledgments for the honor conferred on me 

 by the Bengal Asiatic Society, in electing me an Honorary Member of their Institu- 

 tion. 



Highly as I should, at any time, and under any circumstances, appreciate thi3 

 compliment, I consider myself peculiarly fortunate in receiving it, at a time when 

 I am engaged in the translation of a valuable historical work in the Pali language. 

 In addition to the data from which the " Epitome of the History of Ceylon," 

 (published in the Local Almanac for 1833, and presented to your Society by the 

 Right Honorable the Governor,) was compiled, this work contains, besides detached 

 historical fragments, a chronologically connected Buddhistical History of India, from 

 B. C. 590, to B. C. 307. 



It is within that interesting period, that the invasion of India, by Alexander, and 

 the Embassy of Megasthenes to Palibothra, took place; which in their results 

 formed the earliest connecting link between the Histories of the East and West. 



The account given in the commentary on his work, by the Pali historian, of the 

 Indian monarch of that period, " Chandagutto," closely resembles Justinus' 

 sketch of that usurper's character under the name of " Sandracottos." 



Id point of time also, this P;ili History accords with the Chronology of the His- 

 tories of the West, with considerable accuracy. The reigns of Alexander and 

 Seleucus Nicator comprised the period from about B. C. 335, to B.C. 280, accord- 

 ing to the latter authorities; while the Pali historian assigns to the reign of their 

 contemporary " Chandagutto," the period from B. C. 38 r , to B. C. 351. 



The valuable information brought to light by the researches of Mr. Hodgson 

 and M. Csoma de KCros, and published in your Journal, in reference to Budunism, 

 will be confirmed, or further elucidated, by this more aucicuc authority, oa several 

 important points. 



