Committee Meeting, April Ath, 1853. Ixi. 



from local contributions, without the previous sanction of the General 

 Committee, seems calculated to cramp the operations of both Institutions. 

 In what light this restriction may be viewed at Jaffna remains to be seen. 

 A more liberal course is likely to promote far better the objects of the 

 Asiatic Society, as joint action in any locality is obviously preferable to 

 individual exertions. 



I shall feel obliged by your favouring me at your convenience with a 

 copy of the Parts of the Number of the Journal already published. Were 

 a suitable number of copies of the Proceedings, and of other papers which 

 are intended for publication, to be at once struck off and circulated 

 amongst the Members, they would be more interested in the General 

 Proceedings of the Society. Were these publications to be conducted on 

 an uniform plan and the pages numbered, the sheets might easily be 

 bound at the expense of each subscriber, when the volume is completed. 

 By this expedient, the Members generally would be en courant with the 

 proceedings of the Colombo Committee. 



The late Capt. Neill favoured me with a printed copy containing 90 

 very interesting and important queries. Such papers, circulated both in 

 English and the Native languages amongst persons who might be disposed 

 to furnish information on such topics, would elicit communications 

 which might prove valuable. 



I remain, &c. 



J. N. Mooyaart. 



C. Badulla, 31 st March, 1853, 



Sie, 



I beg to forward herewith, (under cover to the Hon'ble the Colo- 

 nial Secretary), a few specimens of Vegetable products enumerated in 

 the annexed Memorandum, and to acquaint you that I will have much 

 pleasure in sending you a copy of my pamphlet, wherein the mode of 

 preparation and uses of the various articles already presented to your 

 Society are fully described. 



Allow me to draw your attention to the " Kino," which is the produce 

 of the Pterocarpus Marsupium, Roxb., and indigenous to the Patnas 

 around Badulla. It grows luxuriantly on the Lemon grass hills, and 

 yields the gum in great abundance. It is now believed to be the species 

 which produces the genuine Gum Kino of commerce. 



I hope shortly to be able to submit to you a full account of this tree, 

 and the mode of extracting the gum, {gum-resin). 



I remain, &c. 



W. C. Ondaatje, 



