572 'Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [No. 6. 



It should further be noticed as an element iu the consideration of 

 the question, that by means of the removal of the Museum of Eco- 

 nomic Geology, the Society has lost the services which the Curator 

 of that Museum has heretofore rendered in the care of the Society's 

 Geological and Mineralogical collections. 



The Keport was adopted. 



Communications were received — 



1. — From Mr. B. H. Hodgson, a paper on the Aborigines of the 

 Nilghiris with remarks on their affinities. 



2. — From Mr. Assistant Secretary Oldfield, enclosing the Meteoro- 

 logical Register kept at the office of the Secretary to the Govern- 

 ment of the N. W. P., Agra, for the month of September last. 



The Librarian submitted his usual monthly report. 



Captain Yule read a paper, being an account of the remains of 

 the ancient Burmese Metropolis, called Pagan, on the left bank of 

 the Irrawaddee, 100 miles below Ava, appropriately termed by the 

 German Geographer Bitter, " the Burman Thebaid." 



A short sketch was given of the legendary history of the early 

 Burmese monarchy, chiefly from Colonel Burney's papers in the 

 early journals of the Society. Tagoung, above Ava, was the first 

 seat of the Kings, to whom a sacred Indian descent is assigned. 

 Tradition then carries the kingdom to Prome where a great city 

 existed, before the Christian era, under the name of Thare Khet- 

 tara (Sri Kshetra.) On the fall of this city an offshoot of the 

 royal race was established at Pagan, A. D. 107. 



According to Burney and Crawfurd this was the city of which 

 the paper treated. But according to other authorities it was 

 Upper or Old Pagan, adjoining Tagoung above Ava, in lat. 23° 30', 

 where a city is still traceable, which has been visited by Colonel 

 Hannay, Dr. Bayfield, and the Eev. Mr. Kincard ; by the latter 

 account Lower Pagan was founded about A. D. 850. 



Pagan was destroyed by the Chinese in the end of the thirteenth 

 century. The invasion is supposed to be that described by Marco 

 Polo, as the conquest of the Kingdom of Mien, a name, it is be- 

 lieved, still given to Burmah by the Chinese. 



Former accounts of these remains give no adequate idea of their 

 importance and architectural magnificence. 



