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Supplementary Note to the Memoir on the Hodésum, vol. ix. pp. 694 and 783. By Lieutenant TICKELL, Political Assistant, Singbhoom.

Through the kindness of Major Wilkinson, Resident at Burra Nagpoor, I am enabled to correct a mis-statement I made in my Memoir on the Ho Dèsum, in which speaking of the "Surrawuks" I described them as Bengallee Brahmins. They are, it appears, not Brahmins, but Jains, or worshippers of Purusnat'h; and are still scattered over several parts of India. In former times there were many of them at a place called Aring in Chutteesgurh, and some of their temples are there extant to this day.

Major Wilkinson describes the existence in Burra Nagpoor of the remains of a large city in the midst of the jungles on the banks of the Mahanuddee, the name of which was Seirpoor.* It flourished in the time of a race of Rajahs of the "Ho Ho Bunsee" tribe. These were Rajpoots, but the similarity of their name to that of the Koles of the present day ("Ho") is curious.

At Aring, Rajoo, and Dhunteree, Major Wilkinson fell in with several inscriptions on stone, in a character unknown to any persons in that quarter; and I trust he will be enabled to fulfil his present intention of sending some of these inscriptions to the Museum of the Asiatic Society; where there is a probability of their being decyphered, if facsimiles of them be published in this Journal.

NOTE. I hope to be favoured with the note of a tour recently made by Major Ouseley through his Agency, in which mention is made of the extensive ruins above alluded to, and an interesting statistical account given of a region very little known

* If I read it aright in his letter.

Proceedings of the Asiatic Society.

(Wednesday Evening, 7th April, 1841.)

The Hon'ble H. T. PRINSEP, Esq., in the Chair.

The following gentlemen proposed at the Meeting of the 5th March last, were balloted for, and duly elected : viz.

F. BEAUFORT, Esq. C. S.

W. B. JACKSON, Esq. C. S.

W. MASTERS, Esq, Head Teacher, La Martiniere.

The necessary communication of their election, and rules of the Society for guidance, were ordered to be forwarded to the parties.

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Library and Museum.

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Cautley's Report on the Central Doab Canal, Allahabad Mission Press, 1840 (2 copies), Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia-Biography: Lives of the British Admirals, vol. 5th History of the Mohammedan dynasties in Spain, by P. de Gayangos, London, 1840, vol. 1st.. Sleeman's Report on the Depredations committed by the Thug Gangs of Upper and Central India, from 1836 to 1841, Calcutta, 1840, Madras Journal of Literature and Science, No. 28, July-September, 1840, 1 Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, by Professor Jameson, No. 58, October 1840, London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 3rd series, No. 3, November 1840, Yarrell's History of British Birds, pt. 21st, London 1840, Calcutta Monthly Journal and Repository of Intelligence for February 1841, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, No. 36, November 1840, Oriental Christian Spectator, February 1841, vol. ii. No. 2, Bombay, Lectures on the Religious Practices and Opinions of the Hindus, by H. H. Wilson, Oxford 1840, Proceedings of the Geological Society of London, vol. iii. Nos. 69, 70, 71, for 1840,

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Bulletin de la Société de Geographie, 2nd Série, Tome 13th, Paris 1840,
Géographie D'Aboulfeda, Texte Arabe, 2nd Liv. Paris 1840,

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Nieurve Proeve omal de Arabische, Letters en verdere schrijfteeke door Het Gewoon Europeesche Karakter onderscheidenlijk uit te drukken, Voorgesteld door, H. E. Weijers Ze Leyden 1840,

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The following report was submitted by the Officiating Curator for the month of

March last:

SIR,

'H. W. TORRENS, ESQ.,

Secretary Asiatic Society.

'I have to report for the month of March as follows:

'Geological, Paleontological, and Mineralogical Departments.-We continue to catalogue and arrange here, at all spare times.

"The Analytical Index to papers on these subjects in the volumes of the Researches, Gleanings of Science, and Journal up to December 1840 is completed, and in the hands of the printers. By means of it, future Curators and students can refer backwards and forwards to papers or collections with great facility.

'In the Museum of Economic Geology, the collections in Class II (Iron); Class III (Tin); and Class IV (Copper); are arranged. I annex to this a draft of the plan upon which this part of the Museum should, I think, be arranged; and it will be seen at a glance that this system while it affords every convenience as to distinctness of classification, allows of additions to any extent, without disturbing that which is already done, and of every facility of reference for the student, visitors, and Curator, which are the main requisites in a Museum. The Catalogue to Class III (Tin) is circulated herewith, and I shall be glad to have the opinions and suggestions of Members upon this subject. Class I (Coal) and the other classes are not yet arranged for want of cases.

'Mammalogical, Ornithological, Osteological, and Herpetological.-Nothing new to report beyond the additions noticed below.

'Additions to the Museum have been as follows:-
:-

'DR. SPRY.

Seven bottles Snakes and Lizards.

Five ditto water, from various parts of the Bay of Bengal.
An owl, Strix- ? Skeleton prepared for the Museum.

'Mr. F. M. BOUCHEZ.-A Monkey, Simnopithecus Entellus ?-Stuffed.
'Lieut. TICKELL.-Thirty-five Birds' skins.

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Plan of proposed Arrangement for the Museum of Economic Geology.

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and so on, of as many classes as may be required, the marks and numbers being always, where possible, painted on the specimens, and the Catalogues printed or lithographed. H. P.

Mr. JAMES DODD, Assay Master of the Agra Bullion Department, having accepted the offer of Rs. 600 for his collection of Minerals, the following correspondence with Mr. Secretary BUSHBY took place :

'To G. A. BUSHBY, ESQ.

'Secretary to Government, General Department.

'SIR-With reference to my letters of dates quoted in the margin, I have the honor,

13th Nov. 1840; 18th Jan. 1841.

by direction of the Asiatic Society, to state, that Mr. DODD, Assay Master of the Agra Bullion Department, has a valuable collection of minerals, which it is considered highly deserving of purchase, to be placed in the Society's Rooms for general reference. The collection in question can be had for Rs. 600, and I am requested to submit the solicitation of the Asiatic Society to be authorized to make the purchase, the means being placed at the disposal of the Society, by a grant to that extent by the Government.

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'SIR-I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated the 15th instant, and in reply to inform you, that before the Right Honorable the Governor General in Council can decide upon sanctioning the purchase of Mr. DODD's collection of minerals, it would be satisfactory to His Lordship in Council to receive some general description of the collection in question.

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Ordered-That the Officiating Curator be requested to furnish the general description required, for submission to Government.

Read a letter from Mr. Secretary BUSHBY, of 10th February last, communicating that the Government consider the authority under which the payment of Rs. 300

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per mensem is made to the Society for a Curator and the preparation of Specimens, as a sanction and modification of the allowance previously made to it, and not as an independent or additional assignment.

The Secretary brought to notice, for the opinion of the Meeting, the proposal made to him for the support of the Asiatic Society of Bengal for enabling Mons. CALLERY of Macao, to print a Chinese Dictionary, French and English, now compiling by him.

The meeting were of opinion, that as three Dictionaries in the Chinese language were already in the Library of the Society's Museum, was not expedient to encourage the patronage solicited, but that a few copies of the work after completion might be purchased for the Library and presentation to the learned Societies in Europe, and that a recommendation at the same time should be submitted to the Government for the purchase by them of, say 25 or 30 copies for transmission to the Honorable the Court of Directors for their Library. It was accordingly Resolved-That a communication to the foregoing effect be made to Mons. CALLERY, through Mr. HURRY.

The Secretary also submitted a proposal for printing WILFORD's Manuscript on the Ancient Geography of India to complete the 22d vol of the Transactions of the Society, which proposal was negatived, on the consideration that though the paper contained much matter to be of interest to the general reader, yet in the opinion of the Society, the time had gone by for its publication; productions of recent date from other authors on the same subject, containing more correct and valuable information, having superceded the object for which WILFORD wrote, but that the Secretary was at liberty to use the Manuscript as Editor of the Asiatic Journal, by printing extracts of such portions of it as he considered desirable and useful for his object. Read letter from Mr. Secretary BuSHBY, of 30th December 1840, and enclosures 'To H. TORRENS, ESQ.

'No. 995.

'General Department.

'Secretary to the Asiatic Society.

'SIR-I am directed by the Right Honorable the Governor General in Council to transmit to you the accompanying copy of letter, No. 17 of 1840, from the Honorable the Court of Directors in the Public Department, dated the 16th September, and to request that the Society will enable the Government to carry into effect the wishes of the Honorable Court in respect to all Zoological and Entomological collections deposited in their Museum on the part of Government, or by persons conducting Missions on the part of the Government, and will assist the Government in giving effect to the commands of the Honorable Court in respect to future supplies to their Museum, as also in regard to the immediate dispatch of Dr. HELFER's and Captain PEMBERTON's Collections in Tenasserim and Bootan.

I am also directed to transmit a copy of the list of the present contents of the Honorable Court's Museum as far as regards the Mammalia and Birds, that the Society may see the descriptions most desiderated.

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