288 



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



Presidentship. 



The Hon. Mr. John Ferguson, C.M.G., resigned the office of 

 President of the Society in November last owing to his departure 

 from Ceylon for a period that was likely to be protracted. 



The Council desire to place on record their sense of indebtedness 

 to the Hon. Mr. Ferguson for the exceedingly valuable services 

 which he has rendered to the Society during the past forty 

 years as Member of the Society, Member of the Council, 

 Vice-President, and President. The Society is specially indebted 

 to him for his valuable contributions to the Journal, for his 

 Presidential addresses, and for much work and zeal displayed in 

 the interest of the Society which has borne fruit in a substantial 

 increase both of the Members of the Society and of the Papers 

 contributed to it during the years of his Presidentship. 



Conclusion. 



The Society during the year showed more than its usual vitality 

 — a fact which the Council have much pleasure in noting. The 

 continued co-operation of Members in the work of the Society is , 

 looked for with confidence. 



[For statement see page 289.] 



16. The adoption of the Report was duly moved, seconded, 

 and carried. 



17. The Chairman : I notice that it is ten minutes to eleven, 

 and the twelfth item on the agenda is " Remarks by the Chair- 

 man." In these circumstances I think the fewer the remarks the 

 better it will please you and your Chairman. 



I cannot let the occasion pass without expressing what I know 

 is the sentiment of all of you — the very great debt of gratitude 

 which this Society owes to Mr. John Ferguson, who devoted 

 himself to the affairs of this Society with the zeal and enthusiasm 

 which characterize all his public work ; and I repeat that the 

 Society owes him a very great debt of gratitude, an acknowledg- 

 ment of which we ought to place upon record to-night before we 

 separate. (Applause.) 



I feel sure that you share with me, although perhaps not 

 in quite an equal degree, my great regret that Mr. Ferguson 

 has ceased to be President of the Society though only, I trust, for 

 a short time. I say not in quite an equal degree, because upon 

 me devolves now the duty of filling, very inadequately, the place 

 which he has filled so well in the past. My only satisfaction is 

 that in becoming the President of this Society I am not expected 

 to give a ten-guinea cup periodically for Members to compete for 

 (laughter), but beyond that somewhat cold comfort I must confess 

 that it fills me with a good deal of dismay to accept the honour 

 to have to preside at meetings of persons so very learned as the 

 Members of this Society are, and to have to do so after the place 

 has been so very much better filled by Mr. Ferguson. I feel that 

 I have an extreme sense of grievance against Mr. Ferguson because, 

 not acting in his usual way, he took what I regarded as an 



