84 



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



Therefore, it is most important that we should have the accounts 

 which we have had to-night from Dr. Seligmann of the interesting 

 matter connected with their sociology, which will every day get 

 more and more obliterated. And it shows what foresight and 

 perspicuity Mr. Ferguson had when he invited Government to 

 engage the services of an expert to go into the subject of the 

 Vecldas before they had practically disappeared for ever. 



6. The Hon. Mr. Ferguson said he rose to discharge a pleasant 

 duty devolving upon him — the vote of thanks which he had now the" 

 honour to propose to His Excellency the Governor for presiding 

 over their Meeting. He must first of all refer to the fact that, save 

 for the readiness of His Excellency and the Government to make 

 the requisite grant (£500 in all), it would have been impossible to 

 enter on, or carry out, Dr. Seligmann's investigation. .He must 

 deprecate the kind mention of his own name by the Governor ; 

 for it was in reality the Council of the Society who, at the 

 instance of Dr. Haddonof Cambridge, had approached the Govern- 

 ment through him (their President). He felt sure that when 

 Dr. Seligmann's full and illustrated report appeared — that which 

 they had that evening seen only an outline or sketch — they and 

 the scientific world would realize the great amount of valuable 

 work Dr. and Mrs. Seligmann had done. Among the rest, they 

 had on their phonograph got many illustrations of the songs 

 and lullabies of Vedda men and women ,_and some of these 

 would be included in the report. The Members of the Asiatic 

 Society — indeed, all present — were indebted in a special manner 

 to the Governor for the great personal interest he had always 

 manifested in their proceedings, and for so often coming to preside 

 at their Meetings ; and he might safely now offer their congratu- 

 lations that what was rightly regarded as the final scientific 

 investigation of the sociology of the Ceylon Veddas should have 

 taken place during Sir Henry McCallum's term of Government 

 He moved a cordial vote of thanks to His Excellency. 



7. Mr. Arunachalam seconded. — Carried by acclamation. 



