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



position of being able to introduce to you almost as a complete 

 stranger, the lecturer, Mr. D. M. de Z. Wickremasinghe ; because, 

 I understand, he has been absent from this Colony for no less than 

 sixteen years; and an absence of such length as that may fairly 

 render him a stranger — a distinguished stranger — amongst us, 

 whom I have great pleasure in introducing. 



You all know that Mr. Wickremasinghe is a native of this Island 

 and one of its most distinguished sons. He comes from Galle, 

 where he was educated at Richmond College ; after serving a 

 period in his own country he went to Europe and there studied in 

 more Universities than one ; he has carried off many prizes ; he 

 has now attained to a position of considerable distinction in the 

 University of Oxford ; and we are beholden to him as the nominal 

 editor, but really the author of the " Epigraphia Zeylanica." 



The Society, I think, may congratulate itself on having secured 

 Mr. Wickremasinghe to lecture to us this evening ; but in speaking 

 to us in this room he is really speaking to a much larger 

 audience — the whole reading and educated population of Ceylon. 

 Though we, as a Society, must necessarily accord to him our thanks 

 for having undertaken to lecture for us, I feel that the Colony 

 which has given him birth , and for which I am glad to think he is 

 still working, has some right to claim that one of her distinguished 

 sons, on returning after an absence of sixteen years, should give 

 some report of his proceedings and place us in possession of some 

 of the knowledge which he has acquired during his absence. 



2. Mr. Wickremasinghe then delivered his lecture, which was 

 illustrated by lantern slides. 



