NO. 46. — 1895.] PROCEEDINGS. 



5 



Linnean Society, and an acknowledged authority on the Flora of 

 Ceylon. He had read much on other branches of science, especially 

 Astronomy, and in 1887 he delivered an address to this Society on 

 Norman Lockyer's Theory of Meteorites. 



" His literary work consisted mainly of pamphlets, letters, and 

 contributions to newspapers. His other published works were the 

 following :— " A Treatise on Good and Evil " ; " The Natural History 

 of Thought " ; and a series of letters on Revenue and Taxation 

 reprinted from the Ceylon Observer in 1867. 



" To the Journals of this Society he contributed four Papers on the 

 history of the " Ancient Industries of Ceylon," the first and second 

 of which appear in Journal No. 37 of 1888, the third and fourth in 

 Journal No. 42 of 1891." 



Mr. J. Ferguson said it gave him a melancholy pleasure to comply 

 with the request that he should second the Resolution. For the long 

 period of well-nigh fifty years Mr. Wall had been a prominent colonist 

 in Ceylon — first as planter, next as merchant, and latterly as journalist ; 

 but always with a keen interest in all social and political questions 

 that he conceived to be for the good of the community. He (Mr. 

 Ferguson) might dwell on his regard for the welfare of the people 

 and of " the land we live in," because in these days of comparative 

 prosperity and easy voyaging to and fro, European colonists are 

 liable to become, unfortunately, more than ever birds of passage. 

 Mr. Wall made Ceylon his home, and he exhibited before its people 

 — before them all — a high example of strenuous continuous industry 

 in following what he believed to be his duty. He might well have 

 taken for his motto the words found in an old play, which run, 

 " Push on — -keep moving." So well did he (Mr. Wall) fill his 

 time that even his relaxations were as other men's labours ; and he 

 (the speaker) had often thought that Mr. Wall might take to himself 

 the saying attributed to the late Sir G-eorge Cornewall Lewis, Chan- 

 cellor of the Exchequer, that " Life would be endurable save for its 

 pleasures." He need not say that there is no example so useful in a 

 public man to place before an Eastern people as that of unflagging 

 industry, and so Mr. Wall's half century out here afforded an 

 object-lesson of great practical value. In respect of their Society, 

 as they had heard from the Minute, Mr. Wall was a Member for the 

 long period of thirty-six years, and had served on the Council and as 

 Yice-President since 1873. In these capacities he always manifested 

 great interest in the Proceedings, and did much useful work, notably 

 through his contributions to the Journals in a series of Papers on "Early 

 Industries among the Natives." But it is Mr. Wall's personality as a 

 whole that came before them, in thinking of him and of the loss the 

 Society had sustained, and he very heartily seconded and supported the 

 vote of condolence and sympathy proposed. 



The Chairman then inquired if any other Member wished to address 

 the Meeting, and as no one rose he put the motion to the Meeting : — 



" That the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society wishes 

 to express its sympathy and condolence with the family of the late 

 Mr. George Wall, Yice-President of the Society, and to express its 

 sense of the loss which it has sustained by his death." 



The motion was unanimously carried. 



