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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIII. 



8. Laid on the table a Paper by the late Mr. Israel Homer Vannia 

 Sinkam on the " Snakes of Ceylon," together with the opinions of the 

 President and Mr. Ramanathan, to whom the Paper was referred in 

 accordance with a resolution of the Council. 



Resolved, — That the extracts recommended by the Lord Bishop be 

 laid on the table, and printed. 



9. Laid on the table Circular No. 142 of November 21. 1892, re the 

 balance of the Excavation Fund. 



Circular. 



For the Opinions of Members of Council. 



No. 142. Colombo, November 21, 1892. 



At a General Meeting held on February 12, 1884 (Proceedings, 

 p. xxv), at Sir A. H. Gordon's suggestion a subscription paper was 

 set on foot for Archaeological purposes. His Excellency headed the 

 paper, and a sum of Rs. 825 was at once forthcoming, to be devoted " to 

 the excavation of the covered chapels of the Mirisawetiya Dagaba at 

 Anuradhapura, and to further archaeological research." 



(2) The fund has remained untouched since the excavation of the 

 east chapel of the Mirisawetiya Dagaba. There is a balance of 

 Rs. 642-21 still unexpended. 



(3) Mr. Bell, in a letter to the Council (No. 148 of December 16, 



1890, published in Journal No. 42, p. 30), kindly undertook to super- 

 vise any archaeological work at Anuradhapura which the Society might 

 be disposed to prosecute, and to furnish a statement of the results of, 

 and the expenditure incurred in, such exploration, if the Council voted 

 the money for certain alternative schemes which he suggested. 



(4) The Council resolved " that the whole balance be placed at the 

 disposal of Mr. Bell to be devoted to the objects for which the 

 money was originally subscribed" (Journal No. 42, p. 31). 



(5) Mr. Bell, in answer, wrote to the Council under date October 30, 



1891, and he has since called attention to his letter. This letter was 

 not dealt with ere this owing (i.) to the want of a quorum : on two 

 occasions the Council was summoned, but did not meet ; and (ii.) to 

 want of time on two occasions, when the Council did meet, to discuss 

 this amongst other subjects. 



(6) In this letter Mr, Bell points out that the wording of the 

 resolution of the Council "leaves the matter in statu quo" as the " object 

 for which the money was originally subscribed appears to have 

 been to carry out excavation at Mirisawetiya Dagaba." Mr. Bell 

 suggests " that the opinion of the Sub-Committee under whose direc- 

 tion the work on Mirisawetiya Dagaba was commenced should be taken, 

 as to the disposal of the balance on the Excavation Fund." The 

 surviving Members of the Sub-Committee are Sir A. H. Gordon and 

 Dr. W, R. Kynsey. Mr. Bell recommends the setting up of the 

 Buddhist Railing (discovered by him in 1890) as a work of greater 

 archaeological importance than the others originally suggested. 



G. A. Joseph, 

 Assistant Secretary. 



