1838.] Proceedings of the Society. 91 



IX. — Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 



Wednesday Evening, the \4>th November, 1838. 

 The Hon'ble Sir Edward Ryan, President, in the chair. 

 Before proceeding to the general business of the meeting, the President 

 rose and stated, that he held in his hand a letter from the Secretary, 

 Mr. James Prinsep, the substance of which must be a source of deep 

 regret to every member of the Society, for every one must feel the loss 

 the Society had suffered in the departure of its Secretary, Mr. James 

 Prinsep. He assured the meeting, however, and he spoke on the autho- 

 rity of a conversation he had with Mr. Prinsep, before his departure, 

 that this gentleman's absence from India would be but for a short period, 

 and that on his return he would be ready to take the same interest, and to 

 display the same zeal and anxiety, which had so honorably distinguished 

 his discharge of the important duties he had undertaken in connexion with 

 the Society. The President said, that the objects of the Society, had un- 

 der Mr. Prinsep's able superintendance, been prosecuted with a vigour, 

 which had added largely to its credit and reputation ; and that the results 

 produced in every department of science and literature, for which the Socie- 

 ty was indebted chiefly to its Secretary ^activity and varied powers, had 

 sustained its character in a manner, rivalling the periods when it de- 

 rived renown from the labours of a Jones, a Colebrooke, and a Wilson. 

 The President took occasion to add, that, in the time of Mr. James 

 Prinsep, and on his proposition, the name of the Society had been associ- 

 ated with a monthly periodical, established by the late Captain Herbert, 

 originally under the name of the Gleanings in Science. The work was 

 afterwards extended and ably conducted by Mr. Prinsep himself; and at 

 his suggestion it was resolved in 1831. that so long as this periodical should 

 be conducted by a Secretary of the Society, it should bear the title of 

 " Journal of the Asiatic Society ;" under that name, it had been since con- 

 tinued by Mr. Prinsep with very distinguished success to the present day. 

 The Society had no property in the Journal, and no right to prevent 

 Mr. Prinsep from separating it again from the Society, and conducting it 

 on his own account ; but he had no such intention. He (Sir E. Ryan) 

 had ascertained that Mr. Jas. Prinsep had made arrangements for its 

 being continued to the end of the present year from materials in hand ; 

 and after that, he meant that his series should be closed ; but he had no 

 objection to the Society's continuing the periodical by the same name 

 under other management as a concern quite independent. 



Now he (the President) believed, that all the members of the Society 

 would regret exceedingly that a periodical so established, and which had ac- 

 quired such credit and consideration, should be discontinued. He trusted 

 that it would be resumed by Mr. J. Prinsep himself, when he returned 

 to India ; but in the mean time he should submit to the meeting the 

 propriety of taking into consideration the possibility of making some 

 arrangemen to carry it on during Mr. Prinsep's absence. 



