Aug. 1845.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. lxxxiii 



I have it in my power to exhibit a very interesting- fact to the Society this evening-. 

 Through the kindness of Captain Kelloch, of the steam ship Bentinck, I now shew you 

 piece of sheet copper taken from the steamer " Hindoostan." This copper was placed 

 upon the ship in England, and since it was there fastened the ship has passed over about 

 100,000 miles. You will perceive that a chalk mark made upon the copper still remains ! 

 and the portion of copper under this chalk mark is of the original thickness, while the 

 friction, &c, has worn away every other part of its surface. Since this interesting disco- 

 very the owners of the ship iEneas have chalked over the whole of her copper with the 

 hope of thus preserving it. 



Read the following extract of a letter from Dr. II. Walker, Surgeon 

 to the Right Hon'ble the Governor General. 



My dear Mr. Torrens, — I have the pleasure to send you a list of books on Zoology, 

 &c, required for the Library of the Asiatic Society. A large proportion of these works , 

 however, treat of science in general. 



On a rough calculation, I think the cost ought not to exceed 10,000 rupees. 



Many of the books are of antient date. These, the society's bookseller, should seek out 

 in the catalogues of second-hand books, such as Bohn's, &c. 



Some works I have not inserted on account of the expense, such as, Viellot and Le 

 Valliant's Birds of Africa— also Spix and Martius's Zoology of Brazil. The list com- 

 prises complete sets of the Transactions of the principal learned Societies of Europe and 

 America — those of the French Institute— of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Berlin — 

 of the Academies of St. Petersburgh, Stockholm, Copenhagen, &c. It also com- 

 prises the Natural History of the voyages which have been undertaken from time to 

 time by the Governments of Europe and America. 



If you can obtain the sanction of the Society for the purchase of these books you will 

 do more for the good of the Institution and for the promotion of science than has been 

 done for a long time before in this country. 



Barrackpore, Mth August, 1845. 



The Secretary stated that he proposed to lay before the Society a 

 financial statement ; when the means of gradually compassing this 

 important purchase could be discussed. 



In reference to this subject the Sub-secretary stated that in vol. V. 

 of the Society's Journal, p. 190, there was a letter printed from M. 

 Guizot, then Minister of Public Instruction in France, formally pre- 

 senting to the Society a copy of M. Jacquemont's work printed by the 

 French Government, of which the Society had only received a few 

 numbers. The Secretary was authorised to apply in form for the 

 remaining ones. 



The Secretary stated that he had to present a valuable paper on 

 Revenue matters from James Alexander, Esq., C. S. which he propos- 

 ed to print in an early number of the Journal. 



