Proceedings of Societies. 



437 



XVI1I.-PR0CEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



1. — Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 

 Wednesday Evening, 3c? August, 1836. 



The Government of Madras referred for the consideration of the Society, 

 through the Supreme Government, a proposition submitted by Cavelly Ven- 

 kata Lacshmia, Pandit, to re-establish the system of Historical Research so 

 successfully pursued by the late Col. Colin Mackenzie in the Peninsula, by 

 collecting inscriptions, manuscripts, grants, &c. as well as to translate and di- 

 gest the mass of materials already collected, and now in the possession of the 

 Royal Asiatic Society. 



Cavelly Venkata had drawn up a report-progress of the researches, in 

 which he states himself to be still engaged, classifying the different dynasties, 

 ancient and modern, of South India, on which light has been thrown by the 

 Mackenzie collection. This paper and the correspondence were referred to the 

 Committee of Papers for their examination and report, previous lo discussion of 

 the question in the Society. 



Wednesday Evening, the 1th September, 1836. 



The following letter from the Honorable G, Turnour was read. 



Sir, Kandy,July8,]83§. 

 Various circumstances have concurred to prevent my presenting the Asiatic 

 Society with the accompanying pamphlet sooner. Its completion has been delayed, 

 partly from want of leisure, and also in some degree from my having entered more 

 fully into an account of Pali Buddhistical literature, and published more of the 

 Mahdwanso in this volume, than I had designed when I addressed you on the 10th 

 July, last year. 



In presenting a copy of this -publication to the Governor General and the 

 Governors of the several Presidencies, I have mentioned that I had adopted this 

 preparatory course, with the view of eliciting the criticism of oriental Societies 

 and scholars on this portion of the Mahdwanso, before the principal work issued 

 from the press ; and of thereby, at once, obtaining either a confirmation or refuta- 

 tion of the expectations I entertain as to its pointing out the road to a new and 

 interesting field of research in Asia. It would be satisfactory, therefore, to me, if 

 this pamphlet were referred to the Committee of Papers, for its judgment on it 

 At the risk of being considered affected, I repeat, that it is on the original work 

 and on the general references thence deduced by me, that 1 court criticism. I 

 cannot attach much importance to a translation, hastily made, of a work composed 

 in a language which I have hitherto studied rather with the view of gathering 

 information regarding the native institutions, than of familiarizing myself with its 

 philological niceties. 



The first volume of the Mahdwanso has been printed. I have only to recast the 

 introduction, and prepare a glossary, to admit of its publication. 



If the contributions to your Journal offered in the introduction (p. 110) would 

 be acceptable ; as a preliminary step, I would suggest your transferring to its 

 pages, from those of the Ceylon Almanac of 1836, Mr. Armour's translation of 

 Kitetigama's Essay on Buddhism, as well as his prefatory letter. The author of 



