36 



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



General Meetings. 



Five General Meetings were held this year. 



At a Meeting held on May 23, Mr. H. C. P. Bell, C.C.S., 

 Archaeological Commissioner, Honorary Secretary, read ex- 

 tracts from his " Report to Government,* Historical and 

 Antiquarian, on the Kegalla District" the-, first fruits of the 

 newly inaugurated Archaeological Survey of Ceylon. 



On July 19 a translation by Mr. F. H. de Vos of the 

 44 Report by Henricus van Bystervelt of his Embassy to the 

 Court of Kandy in 1671 " was read. 



At the Meeting on August 30 a short Note by Mr. Frederick 

 Lewis on " The Nidification of the red-faced Mal-kohd" 

 was read. Mr. Frank H. Modder read an illustrated Paper 

 on " The Animal-shaped Rocks of Kurunegala : their 

 history, legends, traditions, &c, with Notes on Temples 

 standing thereon, or connected therewith." 



On November 22 Mr. Donald W. Ferguson, M.R.A.S., read 

 his Introduction to and a resume of Lieut.-Col. St. George's 

 translation of " Juan Rodriquez de Saa y Menezes* Rebelion 

 de Ceylan, y los progressos de su Conquista en el gobierno de 

 Constantino de saa y Norona." 



On December 20 Mr. George Wall, F.L.S., F.R.A.S., read 

 his Third Paper on " The Ancient Industries of Ceylon" 



Ancient Literature. 



It is to be regretted that but little progress has been made 

 during the year under review in collecting ola MSS. for the 

 Government Oriental Library. 



The Council went fully into the matter in their Report for 

 1889, and they trust that their recommendations will be 

 carried out by the Government. 



Mahdivansa. — The long-looked-for translation of this 

 valuable work was published. The translation has been 

 much appreciated by Oriental scholars and others interested 

 in Sinhalese literature. The following from Triibner's 

 Record regarding this important work will be read with 

 interest : — 



" In a remarkable letter which Sir W. H. Gregory, after quitting his 

 post as Governor of Ceylon, addressed to the Earl of Carnarvon on 

 August 1, 1877, concerning the literary and scientific work undertaken 

 during the five years of his Government of that Colony, we find among 

 the important recommendations made to his successor, Sir James 

 Longden, the following : — ' That the editing of the Mahawansa may be 

 thoroughly completed by the translation into English of all that has 

 been left incomplete by Tumour. That the text of the first part be 

 revised, the variants inserted, and a translation be made of it into* 



