240 Asiatic Society. [March, 



sought move detailed information from the gentlemen severally responsible for the 

 Library, Finance, and Museum departments. 



On the general statistics of the Society we have to state that the accession gf Mem- 

 bers to the Society during the year 1838 was as follows: — 

 Ordinary Members, .... 25 



Honorary Members, .... 1 



Associate Members, .... 1 



The loss of Members by deaths, departures to Europe, and withdrawals, has been 

 —by departure to Europe, Messrs. W. Adam, A Colvin, H. Walters, Col. Burney, 

 and Mr. James Prinsep. By withdrawals, Messrs. W. Bruce and W. Dent. 



By deaths in India, Messrs. A. E. DoBBsand John Bell, and in France Monsieur A 

 J acquet, an honorary Member, and one of the most distinguished Orientalists of the day. 



We designedly forbear on this occasion from the attempt at any minute obituary 

 notice of the Members whose deaths we so deeply lament. The decease of M. Jacquet 

 was only announced at our last meeting. His friend and fellow labourer, Eugene 

 Burnouf, in the letter which conveys this melancholy news, gives a touching narrative 

 of the circumstances of M. Jacquet's malady and death. A victim to consumption, 

 induced by his unremitting studies, he died at the age of 28, in the delusive confidence 

 of revealing by his future labours much of what is still mysterious in the history and 

 chronology of the Hindoo nations A quarter of an hour before death he was still 

 ardently pursuing his studies. In the homage paid to his memory in France, the Asiatic- 

 Society of Bengal most unanimously and profoundly concur. 



Publications. 



We have to state that during the past year the 4th and last volume of the " Maha- 

 bharata" has been the only work printed in the Oriental department. The volume will 

 be immediately published, and will cost the Society between 4 and 5,000 Rupees. The 

 liberality of Government has most opportunely enabled the Society to meet from its 

 own resources this heavy outlay, which otherwise would have fallen on our respect- 

 ed Secretary, Mr. Prinsep. The sale of the work in France has unfortunately proved 

 far short of M. Burnouf' s sanguine predictions. 



The publication of the " Sharira Vidaya" or translation of " Hooper's Anatomist's 

 Vade Mecum," has been sanctioned by the Society in conjunction with Mr. Muir, who 

 has generously subscribed 1,000 Rupees for this special object. There is yet however 

 much difficulty in this undertaking. The professional members of the Society con- 

 sider the work wholly useless without plates, and the lowest estimate yet obtained 

 places the cost of such illustrations at 6x250= 1,500 Rupees. A reference to Europe 

 was evidently expedient to procure cheaper and better cuts than are obtainable in 

 India, and for the result of such reference the work is now postponed. 



The publication of the "Sharya-ul- Islam" by the Newab Tahawur Jung, has unfor- 

 tunately been much retarded. The delay is attributable to the conjoint inactivity of 

 the Printer and of the Moulavee employed to correct the proofs. Means are being taken 

 however to accelerate the completion of the work. An advance of 800 Rupees has 

 this month been made to the Printer, in pursuance of a resolution of the Committee 

 of Papers and Finance. 



The Transactions of the Society will soon be augmented by the publication of the 2nd 



Parts of the 1 9th and 20th Volumes. We may be pardoned for anticipating that the 



literary reputation of the Society will be well sustained in their pages. If the Society 



ten reproached with neglecting the Natural History of Asia, the part of the 



