1839] Asiatic Society. 73 



Antiquities. 

 Read a letter from J. P. Grant, Esq., Officiating Secretary to the Government of 

 India, intimating that measures have been taken by the local authorities to prevent 

 any further dismantling of the Kanarak temple, or Black Pagoda. 



Museum. 

 Read a letter from Major Hay, with reference to a Museum of Natural History 

 collected by him from the Cape and the Eastern Archipelago, 



Resolved, — That the Officiating Secretary be requested to inform Major Hay, that 

 the present state of their funds entirely precludes their purchase of his collection, but 

 that the Society will be happy to allow the use of their rooms for the reception of the 

 specimens, and to employ their establishment for their care and preservation. It 

 was further decided that the Society make a representation Government on the 

 subject. 



The Officiating Secretary then laid before the Meeting the Annual Report of the 

 past year's transactions. 



[This Report will appear in a subsequent number.] 

 Baboo Ramcomul Sen submitted the Account Current of the Society for the past 

 year, in which a balance of rupees 7,755 : 1 : 2 stands in favour of the Society on the 

 31st December, 1838. 



[The Account Current will be found at the end.] 

 Proposed by Baboo Ramcomul Sen, seconded by Mr. Hare, and unanimously 

 agreed, that a sum of rupees 4,500 be invested in Company's five per cent. Govern- 

 ment Securities. 



The Officiating Secretary informed the Meeting, that with reference to a communi- 

 cation made by him to Messrs. Sherriff and Co. regarding the repairs of the Society's 

 house, that these architects report that the roof of the house is in a very ruinous state, 

 and unless immediate steps are taken, serious danger is apprehended. 



Mr. H. T. Prinsep remarked that Mr. James Prinsep thought that additional 

 rooms might be built for the Museum. 



Resolved, — That Col. MacLeod be i*equested to furnish a plan to that effect, and 

 an estimate of the probable expense, in order that the Society may determine on 

 the subj ect at their next Meeting. 



After the conclusion of the routine business, Mr. H. T. Prinsep called the at- 

 tention of the Members present to M. Masson's large collection of coins and relics 

 then exhibited on the table. 



This collection Mr. Prinsep stated had been made from the funds advanced to 

 M. Masson by the Government; the proceeds having been forwarded through Col. 

 Pottinger to Bombay for transmission to the Honble. Company's Museum in 

 England, were ordered by the Right Honble. the Governor General to be first sent 

 to Calcutta for examination and arrangement by the gentlemen connected with 

 this Society. 



The articles having consequently been sent round in the " John Adam" from Bombay, 

 were laid upon the table of the Society in order that if any gentlemen wore dis- 

 posed to undertake their examination and arrangement, the Society might form them 

 into a Committee for the purpose. 



The collection consisted of some hundred gold and silver coins and several thousand 

 copper coins. 



Some discussion arose as to the steps to be taken by the Society with this collection. 

 By an unfortunate coincidence, all the leading numismatologists of the Society being 

 absent from Calcutta, either through illness (as Mr. James Prinsep and Professor 

 Malan,) or on Military duty (as Col. Stacy, Capt. Cunningham, and Mr. Tregear) 

 it was suggested that the Government be requested to forward the collection to 

 England, where the Court of Directors might refer the examination to Mr. J. Prinsep, 

 who will no doubt be happy to meet the wishes of the Court. 



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