Dec. 184 G.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. cvii 



added some conjectures as to its preparation, which though kept secret 

 by the inventor, Dr. O'Shaughnessy said he believed he could readily 

 describe. — The specimen was too small for analysis, but on microscopic 

 examination by Mr. Grant, proved not to be imbued with any crystalline 

 matters. Dr. O'Shaughnessy added that he had several years since 

 observed numerous facts, during the destruction of organic matters by 

 strong Nitric acid in medico-legal analyses, which convince him now that 

 Schoenbein's gun cotton is prepared by the action of Nitric acid on that 

 substance — which is thus converted practically into solid Carbonic acid. 

 He had since receiving the specimen from Mr. Grant made several 

 experiments which were quite sufficient to shew that by the action of 

 Nitric acid at a properly regulated strength and temperature, on cotton, 

 flax, tow, paper and other organic matters, a powerfully explosive com- 

 pound is easily obtained. 



Dr. Roer, the Co-Secretary, Oriental Department, stated, that he had 

 received from Dr. O'Shaughnessy a letter from Major Jenkins, for- 

 warding impressions of the coins of the iVhom kings, and also a corre- 

 spondence between Major Jenkins and Captain Brodie, respecting the 

 characters and numerals of the Ahom language, and vocabularies of the 

 Ahom and Khamti languages. — He was of opinion from the specimens 

 he had seen, that the Ahom vocabulary did not refer to the ancient 

 Ahom language, a branch of the Shan, which had ceased to be spoken, 

 and was only understood by the priests, the preservers of the ancient 

 religious traditions, but that it appeared to refer to the common 

 Ahom or Assamese language, which is very similar to the Bengali. 

 The Khamti language, he further observed, was a dialect of the Shan, 

 the characters however, Burmese, and he proposed, that Capt. Latter 

 should be requested to report on this vocabulary for reference to the 

 Oriental Section, while the Ahom vocabulary and the Ahom coins 

 should be immediately referred to that Section. 



Ordered accordingly, and Captain Latter appointed a member of the 

 Oriental Sub-committee. 



The Rev. Mr. Long submitted a statement of the price of grain at 

 Chinsurah, showing the average for the last fifty years. 



A lengthened conversation ensued regarding the neglect of the inves- 

 tigation of the Ajunta caves and other topics of antiquarian research for 

 which the Society long since appointed a Special Committee, and Mr. 



