1852.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 553 



" That this meeting desires to record its sense of the loss which the 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal has sustained by the death of Henry "Whit- 

 lock Torrens, Esq. B. C. S., who was for upwards of fifteen years an 

 accomplished and distinguished member of the Society, and whose 

 eminent services when holding the office of Honorary Secretary were, 

 on his retirement from that office in November, 1846, especially 

 acknowledged in the resolution then recorded by the Society." 



The resolution having been seconded by Mr. J. R. Colviu was car- 

 ried unanimously. 



Read letters — 



1st. — From Mr. Beale, Agra College, inclosing a paper on the Influ- 

 ence of the moon on the Weather, in continuation of Mr. Middleton's 

 observations on the same subject, for the year 1852. 



2nd. — From F. Skipwith, Esq., Sylhet, enclosing a rough and imper- 

 fect copy of an inscription on a stone, at a place called Laur, in Sylhet, 

 and announcing that Captain Cave intends ere long to visit the spot 

 personally, and to communicate to the Society the result of his visit. 



3rd. — From Dr. Fayrer, Rangoon, forwarding a Meteorological Re- 

 gister kept at the Field Hospital, Rangoon, for the month of July. 



Subjoined is an extract from a private letter of Dr. F. to Mr. Blyth 

 regarding the apparatus exhibited at the July meeting. 



" The instrument sent down to you as for containing poison, is a 

 very different thing. It is for making fire by compressing the air 

 suddenly. A piece of cotton being stuck on the end of the piston, 

 it is suddenly forced down and withdrawn at the same instant. The 

 cotton comes out ignited. I have lit dozens of cheroots with that very 

 one. It is wonderfully ingenious for a savage to have found out. I 

 have seen a complicated brass instrument in lecture-rooms at home 

 that did not do it a bit better." 



4th. — From Dr. Bedford, sending an English translation, by Sub- 

 Assistant Surgeon Buddinauth Birmo, of a Mugh system of medicine. 

 Referred to the Council. 



Reports having been received from the Librarian and the Curator of 

 the Zoological Department, the meeting adjourned. 



(Signed) Welby Jackson, V. P. 



Oct. 6th, 1852. 



