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JOCJRNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XVIII. 
Conclusion. 
In conclusion, the Council invite the further continued co-operation 
of Members in developing and maintaining the Society which has now 
been in existence for sixty years. 
3. His Excellency then addressed the gathering: " Before moving 
the adoption of the Report I may be permitted to make a few remarks. 
I have to thank the Society for the honour it has done me in electing 
me as Patron. Last year I did not feel justified in venturing among 
you, knowing so little, as I did, of the Island at the time. Since then 
I have learned something of the country — enough to satisfy me as to 
the great and wide field for usefulness of this Society. I believe I am 
right in saying that it was really the parent from which the Royal 
Asiatic Society of England sprung, and although the Society has abdi- 
cated from that position, it is still one of the most important branches 
of the Royal Asiatic Society that is doing much good work in Asiatic 
matters. 
With reference to the Annual Report, mention had been made, in 
the first place, of the necessity of getting the Museum Library 
enlarged. The Museum also, I believe, was a child of the Society. 
The matter has been before the G-overnment, and the plans of the 
building have been accepted, but unfortunately financial considerations 
this year prevent anything being done. I hope, however, that in a very 
short time the G-overnment will be able to extend the Museum, 
for I recognize the importance, not only of the Library, but also of the 
Museum being enlarged. 
With reference to Polonnarawa, I may say that Government intends 
to do everything it can to preserve the " Thuparama " and save its 
roof. The Government has determined that it shall be done as soon 
as we are satisfied as to the best means of preserving it. 
A glance at the affairs of the Society would show how much the 
Society had done in the past. Amongst other things we may look 
back with gratification at the excellent work that Mr. H. C. P. Bell, 
the Archaeological Commissioner, has accomplished. The important 
excavations that he has made at Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, and Polon- 
naruwa are kuown to all. Mr. Bell had found that he was so fully 
occupied with the work of excavations that it was quite impossible for 
him to get the record of the results written up. But for the present 
he will suspend excavations for the purpose of writing those records 
and preparing a catalogue of the most interesting collections that had 
been recovered from the ruins, and which, when arranged and cata- 
logued, will be of immense importance to ArchsBologists. Nowhere 
in the world, perhaps, are there more interesting problems archaaeo- 
logical and ethnological, than in Ceylon. The Government has not 
done amiss, therefore, in assisting in the work of investigating and 
endeavouring to draw from the ruins, by the recovery of the remains 
of old buildings and of records, all the materials for bridging the 
centuries. 
We pride ourselves upon the enormous strides that have been 
made in science of late, and especially within the last wonderful 
century. Among those discoveries there had been none of greater 
importance than the discoveries made in medicine and hygiene ; and 
