70 Asiatic Society. [No. 133. 



As the hour was late, and much business yet before the Society, the 

 reading of the report of Dr. Roer, the Librarian, was postponed to the next 

 Meeting. 



A note from Dr. T. A. Wise, B. M. S. was read, stating, that as he in- 

 tended to proceed to Europe via Egypt, he should be happy to be the 

 bearer of any books or other articles which the Society might desire to 

 present to Mahommed Ali Pashg. It was ordered that a list of the Arabic 

 works printed by the Society should be sent to the Hon'ble the President 

 for him to direct what might be most acceptable. 



The Hon'ble the President referring to the great loss the Society would 

 sustain by the loss of the services of their talented Secretary, Mr. H. 

 Torrens, in that office, desired the following letter to be read : — 



H. Piddington, Esq. 



Joint Curator Asiatic Society of Bengal. 



Sir, — I beg urgently to request that you will have the kindness to relieve me, pend- 

 ing the ulterior arrangements to be determined by the Asiatic Society, of the current 

 duties of the Secretariat Office. 



There is I beg to state no duty among them, with the exception of the collation of 

 certain MSS. of the " Tareekh-i-Nadiree," (now under preparation for the Press,) 

 which requires a degree of attention, which you might find it inconvenient to give. 



I beg that you will state to the Hon'ble the President, that this work is nearly com- 

 pleted, and that I will carefully go through the MSS. before laying it before him. 



The financial responsibilities of the Secretary will of course rest with me, until I am 

 formally relieved from them. 



Under these circumstances, I trust that you may not find it impossible to accede to my 

 request, in which case I shall beg you to lay before the Hon'ble the President the 

 accompanying letter of resignation. I have the honor to be, Sir, 



Your very faithful servant, 



H. Torkens. 

 To the Hon'ble H. T. Prinsep, Esq. 



President Asiatic Society of Bengal. 

 Hon'ble Sir, 



Having performed to the best of my ability the duties of the Secretariat Office 

 of our Society for about three years, I now feel myself under the necessity of resigning 

 them, principally by reason of their being now too heavy to enable me to perform 

 them with benefit to the Society. 



You are aware that other causes of a public nature operate to confirm me in this 

 step. 



During the period of my holding office, I have addressed no Annual Report to the 

 Society of what has been, done in the several branches of science in which its 

 Members, and the scientific public of India, are interested. I was diffident upon the 

 point of ranking myself, in a published report, among those whose real attainments give 

 them a personal right to review and discuss the proceedings of the philosopher, the 

 antiquary, and the naturalist. 



