APPEXDiX. 



Committee has distributed a number of copies of your Journal 

 throughout the Island. Copies have also been forwarded to the 

 Parent Society, and the Branch Societies of Bombay and Ma- 

 dras, and to the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 



Your Committee are of opinion that the monthly evening 

 meetings are calculated to extend the influence and promote the 

 usefulness of the Society, and that they may be looked upon as 

 the ground work of much practical good, serving as they do to 

 keep alive a spirit of enquiry and zeal amongst the members. 



The Catalogue of Books belonging to the Society which is 

 laid on the table will shew the progress made towards the for- 

 mation of a Library, and in the Museum will be found a small, 

 but not uninteresting, collection of objects of Natural History, 

 as also the commencement of a cabinet of minerals, and a ca- 

 binet of coins. To these it is hoped the Society will soon be 

 enabled to add some samples of native manufactures relative to 

 which enquiries are being instituted, as well as of models or 

 drawings of native implements, with a view to shew, not 

 merely the actual state and condition of such, which would how- 

 ever in itself be interesting, but also to promote their improve- 

 ment, and by comparing them with those in use elsewhere, con- 

 tribute to the advancement of the native population in the means 

 and appliances of social life. 



Your Committee anticipate from the liberality of the Govern- 

 ment some aid of great consequence to the Society in the prose- 

 cution of its objects. 



The labours of Dr. Gygax, in reference to the Tin ore to 

 which he has directed attention, and which is stated to be 

 abundant in the Saffragam districts, cannot indeed, it is to be 

 feared, be brought to an early or successful termination without 

 such assistance, the difficulties and expenses of travelling to the 

 districts where the ore is situated, and exploring them, being so 

 considerable ; and it is well known that in his experiments and 

 otherwise, the want of proper instruments have been sensibly felt. 



It would undoubtedly be a matter of great regret were the en- 

 quiries which are now in course of being made by the Society, 

 and which promise to be of so much value, postponed or render- 

 ed futile, on account of its present limited means. In investiga- 

 tions on the arts, talent and enterprize alone will not suffice, we 

 must have the means of rendering them efficient ; and it is plain 

 that unless the labourer is supplied with the requisite power in 

 a physical sense, as well as the requisite skill, his labour being 

 made greater, is in danger of being wholly thrown away. 



Amongst the transactions of the past year your Committee 

 cannot help considering the appointment of a Statistical Com- 

 mittee as an event which promises many practical and interest- 

 ing results. Sufficient time has not yet elapsed to enable the 

 Committee to accomplish any portion of their intended labours, 



