JOURNAL, 



Xo. 2.— From May 1846 to Feb. 1847. 



Address of the Hon. Mr. Justice Stark, at a 



GENERAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY, 4TH May, 1846. 



In my former address, when explaining the nature and 

 objects of the present Society, I stated that the design of 

 the Society is to institute and promote enquiries into the 

 history, religion, literature, arts and social -condition of the 

 present and former inhabitants of this island, with its geo- 

 logy and mineralogy, its climate and meteorology, its bota- 

 ny and zoology. On this occasion of our meeting together, 

 I am naturally led to take a retrospect of the proceedings 

 of the Society, and to mark its progress in accomplishing 

 the objects which it has in view, with such observations 

 and suggestions as may occur. 



The Society had its commencement in the meeting of 

 7th February last year, On the 28th of that month, office 

 bearers were appointed; and on 1st May the first General 

 Meeting of the Society was held. The Society has there- 

 fore been but little more than 12 months in existence; yet 

 there are already upwards of 30 members on the Roll of 

 the Society — a Library and Museum have been begun — 

 and the correspondence which took place in pursuance of 

 one of our earliest resolutions has been crowned by the in- 

 corporation of the Society with the Royal Asiatic So- 

 ciety— of which the Asiatic Society of Ceylon is now a 

 Branch. Thus, in the short period which has elapsed since 

 its commencement, the Society has become completely esta- 

 blished, its constitution has been determined, and a found- 

 ation laid for its future eminence and usefulness. It remains 

 for the members to maintain and improve the advantageous 



