1840.] Asiatic Society. 91 



Historical account of the British settlements in the Straits of Malacca, from the 

 year 1785 to July 1839, by Capt. James Low. 



Resolved that they be referred to the Committee of Papers. 



Physical. 



Read a letter from Mr. Wodeholse, Acting Colonial Secretary at Colombo, 

 forwarding a copy of the Tide Register kept at Trincomalee during the year 1839. 

 . Read a letter from Lieut. Col. Hodgson, presenting a stuffed Albatross. 



Skin of a Cat and and also a specimen of the glue root, were presented by 



Dr. H. H. Spry. 



The Annual Report of the past year was then read. 



Secretaries' Annual Report. 



On a review of the proceedings of the Society, for the year 1839, we submit to you 

 this Report. 



Your Society has been stationary during the past year. 12 ordinary Members have 

 been admitted, and 13 have been lost by death and departure for Europe. Those who 

 have died, are Mr. G. A. Prinsep, Dr. Bain, Mr.W. K. Ewart, Captain J. Taylor, 

 and Mr. C. Brownlow, an associate Member. Those who have quitted India are 

 HisExcellency Sir H. Fane, the Hon. Col. Morrison, Mr. C. G. Mansell, Dr. G. 

 Evans, Mr. W. Cracroft, Dr. J. Martin, Lieut. Col. Low, and Mr. D. Ross. 

 Of your honorary Members, we regret to notice the death of two distinguished Ori- 

 entalists, Baron De Sacy and M. De Tassy. The reputation of De Sacy, and his 

 valuable labours in the field of Oriental Literature, need no eulogium. Our feeble 

 praise could add nothing to his well deserved fame. 



Publications. 



We noticed in our last report the completion of the 4th vol. of the Mahabharat, and 

 the defect of plates which rendered the Sharria Vidya, the Sanscrit Version of Hooper's 

 Anatomy, incomplete. Fifty pounds have been remitted to England on account, and we 

 hope that in the course of the year, we shall receive from Europe well executed plates, 

 which will render the translation of that useful work subservient to the extension of 

 sound Medical knowledge amongst the Hindu classical cultivators of the science. 



The Sharay-ul-Islam, noticed in our last report, has been completed, and we trust 

 this publication, which treats on the civil law of the Arabs, according to the doctrine 

 of the juris-consults of the Shea sect, will be found to supply a want which we believe 

 was sensibly felt. 



We bring also to your notice, that Part ii. of the xix Vol. of your Physical Resear- 

 ches has since our last report been published. 



Museum. 



We here introduce the following interesting report of your Curator, in regard to this 

 branch of your Institution. 



"The donations to the Museum are communicated monthly with the proceedings 

 of the Society. The only donation omitted in the usual place, is that of a collection 

 of several fishes from Mr. R. J. Rose, in spirits supplied for [the purpose. This 

 little collection, consisting of ten or fifteen species, includes two or three kinds of 

 eels, which Mr. Rose states are very destructive to the embankments so essential 



