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ici, et je lui ai fais voir qu'il figuroit les peuples Etrangers de la Chine, et meme ceux de l'Afrique, et donnoit la titre de toutes les productions de leur pays, et des details sur le commerce que lui y pouvoit faire, et je suis surpris qu'a son retour à Londres, Lord Munster n'aie pas engagé la Société des traductions a faire traduire a Paris, par M. STANISLAN JULIEN, cet ouvrage si important, pour la puissance Angloise dans les Indes et cher les Birmans. Ce livre a été entièrement parcouru par moi, et souvent cité dans la belle Histoire des Hums de M. DEGUEGNER le pere, mais ce qui manque a l' Europe c'est la traduction complete, et possible en ce moment je le répéte, encore. J'en ai aussi entretenue M. LE BARON DE HUMBOLDT par ecrit; il est actuellement a Paris et je ne doute pas qu'il ne s'en occupe un jour. "J'ai voulu, Monsieur le Président, appeler aussi votre attention sur ce livre si importan, qui n'existe pas à Londres autant que j'ai pu le verifier. Il seroit non moins utile, d'avoir une traduction complete des kiags et du Son Chon ancienne chronique, et des encyclopedies diverses publieés en Chine et au Japon, aussi bien que du Pentho Penggmon; je suis convaincu de leur haute importance. Je désire en convaincre aussi votre Honorable Assemblée.

Ce 13th Septembre, 1838.

"Je suis avec respect,

"Monsieur le Président,

"Votre tres humble et obeissant serviteur,

"CHEV. DE PARAVEY. Du Corps royal du génie, &c. &c.

The Secretaries were directed to acknowledge with thanks Mons. DE PARAVEY'S communication, and to state that several works of more local interest must occupy the attention of the Society before they could urge on the government the expediency of undertaking the translation Mons. DE PARAVEY suggests.

Received through the Secretary to Government, General Department, Report on the Statistics of Azimgurh, by Mr. THOMASON, B.C.S.; also Journal of a Tour in Bootan, by Dr. W. GRIFFITHS, Medical Establishment.

Read an application from PREMCHAUND Pundit, offering to make over to the Society the commentary of the 2nd part of the "Nyeshadha,” which he has been given to understand the Society is willing to publish; with a request that his labours for such compilation may be taken into the consideration of the Society.

Proposed by the President, seconded by Capt. FORBES, carried nem con, that Mr. SUTHERLAND be requested to report on the subject at the next Meeting. Daily Observations of the Tides at Singapore for December 1838, and January 1839, were presented by W. Scort, Esq.

Museum.

Read a letter from Dr. C. GRIFFITHS, forwarding for presentation to the Museum a locust picked up by him at the Cape of Good Hope in December last. Read extracts of a private letter to Dr. O'SHAUGHNESSY from Lieut. Col. STACY, communicating drawings of coins discovered on his journey to join the Army of the Indus.

"You may rest assured, I will keep you informed of any thing which comes to my knowledge, and which I suppose may be interesting to you; but keep in mind, that the natives bury, and remove every thing they can on the approach of an army; and therefore, that I can expect no success in my researches, until we take Cabul. Through

the kindness of Moonshee MоHUN LAL, I have received introductions to the bankers of Kandahar and Cabul: through their agency, I expect to procure coins, gems, and every thing antique, which money and zeal in the cause can procure; and I hope I shall be able to make such arrangements, when on the spot, as may secure to me the result of their future exertions. Not a coin shall pass into other hands, if I can prevent it. At Cabul I shall have some trouble perhaps; but we have this satisfaction, that if I should fail to secure any coins, they will fall into the hands of our countrymen, and they will communicate them to the Society. I had better begin the subject of coins in the order or date of my great good fortune. First, when travelling dâk, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. FALCONER on his return from Cashmere; he immediately opened his treasures, gave me over almost all he had, desiring I should select such as I required for my cabinet. Although no new coin turned up, still there are three of KADAPHES CHORANUS, which will be very useful, as having the legend on the reverse complete; there are some others also, which will be very useful in completing readings, which, at present, are rather doubtful.

"My next donation was from Colonel Sir ALEXANDER BURNES: of his modern coins I will speak, when I have more time. In six small packets are Bactrian, Indo-Scythic, &c. which though published, will still be useful, as they assist in forming a comparative table of the various sites where these coins prevail. One coin in these packets deserves notice, viz. a copper coin of Azus-of capital workmanship and very complete-similar to fig. 2, pl. 22, vol. 4, June 1835, Journal Asiatic Society. Three circular copper

coins of a dynasty as yet unknown, complete the valuable present of Col. BURNES: they deserve a more detailed description than I can give of them in Camp, without books of reference. I will describe them as well as I can, and send you sealing wax impressions by the first opportunity, into which you can cast Plaster of Paris.

"No. 1, Obv. Royal bust facing to the left, in high relief; handsome and expressive features; beard; head-dress difficult to describe; has the appearance of two large rosettes, composed the upper of six and lower of seven small circular bunches of flowers or jewels; the royal fillet passes between these, and is tied behind in a very peculiar triangular bow. Dress magnificent; collar round the neck equally so; legend in Greek characters-the

three first are indistinct-they appear to me ACAAKO PHC BASILEUS,

the remaining letters lost. Reverse. An angel in outline, facing to the right, holding out a fillet in her right hand; the legend, beautifully executed, is in a character assimilating to, but more ancient, than the writing in the principal deposit of the

Manickyala Tope—Monogram 7

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"No. 2, is also a copper coin in high relief, and only less beautiful than No. 1. Royal bust facing to the left-evidently of the same dynasty. A less able execution of the medal, and a deteriorated Greek character, stamp it as subsequent to No. 1. Beardedhair straight on the crown of the head-fillet with the same peculiar triangular bow as No. 1-below the fillet three rows of curls-dress much the same as No. 1collar richer. It must be regretted that the greater part of the letters of the name are injured—after cleaning the coin with the greatest care, it appears POVHC

*, the remaining letters are lost. Rev. An angel facing to the right, in outline, holding out a fillet in her right hand-half of the legend is distinct-approaches nearer to the writing in the principal deposit Manickyala Tope-Monogram

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"No. 3 This coin was in such a ruinous condition, that I had no hopes any exertions would ever enable me even to class it; but I have been more fortunate than I expected. I think it should be placed as first of this series. It is evident it belongs to Nos. 1 and 2; equally so, that it is of some other king, for the Monogram is on the obverse-a star with five points. The head dress is the same-the ends of the fillet are more gracefully disposed. Style of Greek character the same as on No. 1. Only a few letters of BASILEUS remain. Reverse. An angel facing to the right-instead of being in outline the angel is filled in, and in a most graceful attitude-the traces of letters only remain, but as far as they allow of an opinion, I should say of a different alphabet from Nos. 1 and 2. "Nos. 1 and 2 bring to light the names of two kings before unknown. Monsieur JAQUET'S corrected Pehlevi alphabet will enable you to judge if I have read the Greek legend correctly. To Colonel Sir ALEXANDER BURNES are we indebted for this discovery; he does not allow his numerous and important duties to prevent his collecting ancient coins wherever they are to be had: he has dispatched servants in several directions to purchase them.

"My next good fortune was a donation from Moonshee MOHUN LAL; he shewed me all the coins he had, and desired me to select any I wished to possess. I accepted of sixteen -two of these are unique, but I am sorry to say, without legend. One Obv. a head in high relief, looking to the left. Reverse, a loose horse, trotting to the right-legend lost. The other a bust, badly executed, looking to the right-crown with many points—Reverse lost. From the appearance, I doubt if ever it had a reverse. These two coins are both unknown. A square bronze coin of EUCRATIDES. Obv. very complete, and in wonderfully good preservation, a splendid execution, not the least injured. Reverse, the two horsemen. Nothing can surpass the spirit and grace of this medal; I have no coin, nor do I remember seeing a coin of greater beauty. I also received a very pretty small coin of ERNAIOS or ERMÆUS; the others are coins already published. You may imagine how grateful I feel for these most acceptable donations. I hope on my return, that added to what my own exertions may enable me to collect, we may be able to give several names to the list of kings. I shall write from Kandahar.”

Physical.

Read a letter from Lieut. Col. R. LLOYD, Resident at Darjeeling, forwarding a specimen and notice of a supposed Coal found near the Teesta river. On analysis it was found to be iron stone mixed with plumbago.

After the conclusion of the business of the Meeting Mr. JAMESON, the officiating Curator, read his report on the specimens of Natural History contained in the Museum

of the Society.

The thanks of the Society were voted to Mr. JAMESON for the valuable service he has rendered to the Society, for the short time he has had the management of the Museum.

346

ART. X.-Meteorological Register.

29,874 83,9 79,4 87,5

56,8

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,738 82,7 79,6 87,3 65,0

7,4

,763

,769 84,6 79,6 86,4 63,5

6,9

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,776

,695 86,680,3 89,7 73,5

,594

PONNNHEINNEJARRFEO-Day of the Month.

,575

,607

,613 87,5 80,188,7 74,1
,586,581 87,9 80,3 90,9 74,7
,580,587 87,2 80,188,9 74,0
,580,588 85,3 79,5 87,1 76,3

,573 86,2 80,290,975,7 ,60286,480,590,576,0 7,2 7,9 917172| 80 |S.

[blocks in formation]

,786,774 85,7 80,2 89,5 64,7 8,4 8,8 89
,670,666 85,9 80,3 89,7 65,0 8,0 8,0 89
,627 85,7 79,7 89,1 65,3

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,880 83,7 78,8 86,0 59,0 8,7 8,488 25 65 74 S.
,815 84,0 79,2 86,7 63,0 8,7 8,6 88 28 65 74 S.

29,869

[blocks in formation]

Meteorological Register, kept at the Assay Office, for the Month of April, 1839.

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Pressure.

Hygrometry.

rature.

tension.

Old Stand.

Barometer.

Height at 32 Fah.

Air.

Dew point.

Differential
thermometer.

Hair Hy-
grometer.
| By Dew point

Depression.

By Hair
Hygrometer.

Direc-
tion.

Force.

Weather.

Wind.

Aspect of Sky.

[blocks in formation]

88

50 65

74 S.

5

cy. cir. str.

,629

,638 91,6 63,0 13,3 13,2

79

4151 40

e.

83

44 55

65 S.

e.13

overct.

,612

80

43 51

69 s. W

cy. haze.

,631

,614 95,5 64,0 13,0 14,3 ,634 91,353,3 16,2 16,1

80

37 55

59

e. 2

73

29 41

48

w.1

cy. mist.
fine.
do.

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