4 



CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY*. 



available to the general public; though we doubt not there 

 is much valuable data in the hands of Government. But 

 as all such information would be of advantage in some 

 particular or other to every class of the community, it is 

 earnestly to be hoped that means will be taken to have it 

 published so as to enable individuals to apply the facts col- 

 lected, and employ their means and energies in the most 

 economical and beneficial way, and in the most profitable 

 channels. The value of documents of this kind however, 

 depends altogether on the accuracy of the facts collected ; 

 and in that view, I am inclined to think much of the so-called 

 statistical information referred to is of little value. If such 

 is the case, every contribution in statistics will be all the 

 more acceptable, and it should be known that even local 

 information is important: — the state of crime, with its 

 character and amount as compared with former periods and 

 with the population, and as compared also with the nature 

 and extent of education on the one hand and punishment on 

 the other ; — the increment or decrease of the several races, 

 Moors, Malabars and Singhalese; — the nature of caste here 

 and its effect in determining the occupations of individuals: — 

 the state of trade, and the different character of mechanical 

 skill in different places of the Island, with the probable causes 

 of those peculiarities; — the wages of labour ; — the price of 

 provisions ; — and whatever else will tend to illustrate the 

 moral, intellectual or social condition of any part of the 

 population. And here I may be permitted to observe, that 

 not only shall we be happy to receive translations of native 

 works, to be published if thought fit in the usual course of 

 the Society's Transactions, but where circumstances appear 

 to call for it, the Society will assist in printing or translating 

 any literary or scientific work of value falling within the 

 range of the Society's labours, so far as its means will allow. 

 Enquiries into the geology and mineralogy of the Island, its 



