1870.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 251 



cause it succeeded tranquillity, and it was violent. The process of 

 breaking then ran along the length of the roller, but it was very 

 different in result from the first crash ; the fall of each succeeding 

 element was in some degree stayed by its predecessors. All pre- 

 sent who had been at the sea-side would remember how markedly 

 the sound of the first blow of a great breaker prevailed above the 

 continuation of the roar. On the shore itself, and for some dis- 

 tance inland, no doubt the whole sound, more or less prolonged and 

 confused, would be heard ; but he, the President, supposed it might 

 well happen, that further inland still, the minor sound would be so 

 weakened in intensity, as to be lost and only the greater, that which 

 results from the first shock, would remain. If so, the phenomenon 

 would be reduced, almost precisely, to that of a single distant ex- 

 plosion.* Also in the breaking of surf upon a beach, there always 

 occurred maximum breakers at intervals of greater or less duration. 

 Thus the explanation to which Mr. Blanford gave his support, 

 seemed to be fitted to account for these so-called Barisal guns in all 

 respects. But the matter should not be left to conjecture. A little 

 careful observation ought to suffice to clear it up, and he thought 

 the Council might readily effect the organization necessary for the 

 purpose. 



The following papers were read — 



I. On the Capture and Death of Prince Lard Shikoh. — By H. 



Blochmann, Esq., M. A. 



(Abstract.) 



Mr. Blochmann exhibited a rare (Delhi) MS., the property of 



the Government, bearing on the fly leaf an autograph of Dara 



Shikoh. He said, the MS. was a copy of a religious poem by 



Bahauddin Sultan Walad, son of the great fdfi-poet Maulana Jalal- 



uddin i Riimi, and was of great value as being in the handwriting 



of the author himself (A. H. 697, or A. D. 1297-98.) 



The religious views of Dara Shikoh, like those of the emperor 

 Akbar, present many points of interest. He was the author of the 



* Prof. Tyndall in his Lectures on Sound, says (p. 55)—" The roar of the 

 breaking wave itself is mainly due to the explosion of bladders of air. The 

 Presidknt. 



