70S Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Auo, 



immediately necessary. The committee of papers would be the proper organ to 

 take charge on the retirement of Dr. Pearson, and to recommend (if they 

 judged proper) a successor. He had not himself made generally known the 

 state of the question* but in the only quarter to which he had applied he had 

 found that spirit in the reply which he himself always anticipated and rejoiced 

 to see among his associates. — One member, Dr. McClelland, had volunteered 

 to act gratuitously as superintending curator during his stay at the Presidency. 

 Dr. Cantor too had in like manner, kindly undertaken to classify and arrange 

 the large collection of snakes in the rooms below, now augmented by a valuable 

 donation from Aga Kerbalai Muhammad. 



He could not help mentioning some particulars regarding this donation. The 

 Aga had purchased Dr. Pearson's private collection for 3,000 rupees, 

 including a much more extensive selection of shells, insects, and other objects 

 than the society possessed, mostly classified and named, and arranged in con- 

 venient cabinets. The society had spent more than double that sum in the two 

 experimental years without (as it appeared to him) reaping equal advantage. 

 Was it not then worthy of consideration whether in most cases it would not be 

 preferable to purchase collections already formed, and only to keep up such an 

 establishment as should suffice to preserve the objects with care, until the deter- 

 mination of the court were known in regard to the late memorial? If so he 

 would propose that the government grant of 200 rupees monthly should be de- 

 clined with proper acknowledgments, leserving the option of purchasing col- 

 lections, which had been also liberally granted by government. 



Should the majority however consider that the present favor should not be 

 declined, he thought that the best way of employing it would be iu deputing a 

 collector, by permission, to accompany the expedition under Captain Pember* 

 ton now on the point of proceeding to Bhotan, and to which no naturalist stands 

 appointed, although Dr. Griffith the botanist will doubtless give all the atten- 

 tion in his power, collaterally, to natural history. 



The meeting seemed unanimous in opinion that the government grant 

 should not be declined, and it was finally resolved, that the Committee of 

 papers be requested to examine and report upon the best mode of main- 

 taining the museum in an efficient state. 



Literary and antiquities. 



The Honorable George Turnour, presented a transcript and transla* 

 tion of the Delhi lat inscription (the four tablets) with an historical account 

 of the tooth relic of Buddha to which he supposes it to relate. 



The same gentleman forwarded, also 



A continuation of his examination of the Pali Buddhistic annals. 



The Baron Hammer von Purgstall forwarded from Vienna, a conti* 

 nuation of his translate of Sidi Ali Capudans' nautical work, the Mohit. 



Captain R. Wroughton presented traced impressions of three inscrip- 

 tions on two Burmese hells taken by the soldiery at Arracan, and now 

 suspended in Hindu temples near Hand. Also a beautiful drawing of the 

 bells themselves. 



Major P. L. Pew sent a specimen of the inscription on the broken lat, 

 lying in the grounds of the late Colonel Phaser. 



From the live or six letters sent it was evident that the inscription was 

 identical with that of the Feroz lat — complete facsimiles are promised. 



Mr. V. Wathorne, officiating judge of Cuttack, presented ink impres- 

 sions of all the inscriptions at the caves in the vicinity of Gaya. 



[Facsimiles of these are published in the preceding pages.] 



Colonel Stacy forwarded on the part of H. S. Boulderkon ; Esq. a facsi- 

 mile of a long inscription discovered by him on a stone in the jangals, 

 about 30 miles from Bareilly. 



This has been read by Kamala'ka'nta pandit and pronounced to be in a very 

 superior order of poetry ; it will be published immediately. 



Lieutenant Kittoe reported the discovery of several further inscriptions 

 at Cuttack, particularly of one occupying 270 square feet, which had been 

 carefully covered over with plaister to save it from the spoliating hand of 



! 



