result. I rather anticipate that the Chinese will decline giving passports to Thibet, on the ground that they do not interfere in the internal administration of the country. Whether I shall be able to induce them to use their influence to favour our views, I cannot state. They are much alarmed at the idea of foreign nations having intercourse with these semi-barbarous races, who lie as a barrier between China and the European Powers. Of this, I have seen some striking proofs lately with reference to the Mongolian tribes.

In the meantime, I beg you to believe that I understand the importance of the subject proposed, and shall be most happy to assist in carrying it out. But as I know that the traditions of China will incline her statesmen to throw obstacles in the way, the subject must be approached with caution, and under favourable circumstances.

The most enlightened Chinese have not got beyond the notion, that it is a less evil to tolerate the presence of foreigners where they have a right to be, than to risk a war for the purpose of keeping them out. But I doubt whether there is one amongst them who does not think their presence an evil.

I remain, &c.,

(Sd.) F. W. A. BRUCE.

The nomination of Col. R. Strachey to be a Vice-President, and of Mr. J. G. Medlicott a member of the Council, vice Mr. Oldham, was confirmed.

The following gentlemen, duly proposed at the last meeting, were balloted for and elected ordinary members:

H. Beverley, Esq., C. S.; Captain J. P. Basevi ; J. W. S. Wyllie, Esq.; W. L. Heeley, Esq., C. S., and Colonel Vincent Eyre, C. B. The following gentlemen were named for ballot at the next meeting:

F. R. Mallet, Esq., proposed by Mr. J. G. Medlicott, seconded by Mr. Atkinson.

R. L. Martin, Esq., inspector of schools, proposed by Mr. Atkinson, seconded by Mr. Leonard.

Communications were received

1. From Major Walker, an extract of a report from the Civil Assistant in charge of the Assam Longitudinal Series G. T. Survey, to the Superintendent of the G. T. Survey.

From the President, extracts from reports by Mr. J. H.

O'Donel, the Arrakan surveyor, and by Mr. H. J. Reynolds, the Superintendent of survey on the Eastern frontier of Sylhet, containing interesting information regarding some little known tribes inhabiting in those regions.

These papers and the preceding one were read by Colonel Thuillier, who added some interesting remarks on the present state of our geographical knowledge of the districts on the Eastern frontier of Bengal.

The papers will appear in the Journal.

3. From Dr. J. L. Stewart, a niemorandum on the Peshawur Valley, chiefly regarding its Flora.

4. From Dr. T. Anderson, a paper on the Flora of Behar, and the mountain Parasnath, with a list of the species collected by Messrs. Hooker, Edgeworth, Thomson and Anderson.

5. From E. Blyth, Esq., a further note on Wild Asses and alleged Wild Horses.

6. From Captain J. G. Forlong, a report with plans and drawings on the Isthmus of Krau, prepared by Captain Fraser and himself. 7. From Rev. I. Loewenthal, a paper on the antiquities of the Peshawur district.

Mr. Bayley after reading the paper, illustrated it by remarks with reference to similar discoveries at "Jamal Giri" described in Vol. XXI. of the Journal for 1852, and added some observations on the extract from Major Burrough's letter given by Mr. Loewenthal. The papers will appear in the Journal.

8. From Baboo Gopinath Sen, abstracts of Meteorological Observations taken at the Surveyor General's Office, in May and June last. The Librarian submitted the usual monthly report.

The following additions were made to the Library since the meeting in July. Presented.

The Annals of Indian Administration, Part 2 of Vol. VI. for June, 1862. -BY THE BENGAL GOVERNMENT.

The Calcutta Christian Observer for July and August.-BY THE EDITORS. Clifford's Memorandum of Timber of Bengal.-BY THE EDITOR. Rational Refutation of Hindu Philosophy.-By Pundit NEHEMIAH NIL KANTH AND TRANSLATED BY MR F. E. HALL.

Journal of the Statistical Society of London for June, 1862.-BY THE SOCIETY.

A Letter on the subject of the Translation of Scriptures into English from Tamil language.—BY THE

A Legend of Khoolneah, pamphlet by Mr. H. J. Rainey.-BY THE AUTHOR.

Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India, Vol. IV. Part 1.-BY THE BENGAL GOVERNMENT.

Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India, Palaeontologia Indica, Vol. II. Part 2, 2 copies.--BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND THE BENGAL GO

VERNMENT.

The Oriental Baptist for June.-BY THE EDITOR.

The Oriental Christian Spectator for May.—BY THE EDITORS.

The Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Vol. XII. No. 49.—By THE SOCIETY.

Report on the Survey Operations of the Lower Provinces for 1861.-By THE BENGAL GOVERNMENT.

Selections from the Records of the Govt. North-West Provinces, No. 36. -BY THE GOVERNMENT NORTH-WEST PROVINCES.

Selections from the Records of the Government of Punjab and its Dependencies, Vol. VI.—BY THE PUNJAB GOVERNMENT.

Statement of the Weekly Meteorological Returns of the North-West Provinces from June 1860, to May 1861.—BY THE GOVERNMENT North-West PROVINCES.

Etudes Quelques Orthopteres des Musee de Geneve. By Henri de Saussure.-BY THE AUTHOR.

The Athenæum for May.

Exchanged.

The Philosophical Magazine, Nos. 156 and 157.

Purchased.

The observation of Sir Richard Hawkins, Kt., in his voyage into the South Sea in 1593-Edited by Captain C. R. Drinkwater Bethune, R. N., C. B.

Select letters of Columbus with original documents relating to the discovery of the New World-Translated and edited by R. H. Major, Esq., of the British Museum.

The discovery of the Empire of Guiana, by Sir Walter Raleigh, Kt., edited with copious explanatory Notes and a Biographical Memoir by Sir Robert H. Schomburgk, Phil. D., etc.

Sir Francis Drake his voyage 1595, by Thomas Maynarde, together with the Spanish account of Drake's attack on Puerto Rico, edited from the original MSS. by W. D. Cooley, Esq.

Narratives of early voyages undertaken for the discovery of a passage to Cathaia and India, by the North West, with selections from the Records of

the worshipful fellowship of the merchants of London, trading into the East Indies; and from MSS. in the Library of the British Museum, published by Thomas Rundall, Esq.

The Historie of Travaile into Virginia Britannia expressing the Cosmographiæ and Commodities of the country, together with the manners and customs of the people gathered and observed as well by those who went first thither as collected by William Strachey, Gent: the first Secretary of the Colony. Edited by R. H. Major, Esq., of the British Museum.

Divers voyages touching the discovery of America and the Islands adjacent, collected and published by Richard Hakluyt, Prebendary of Bristol, in the year 1582. Edited with Notes and Introduction by John Winter Jones, Esq.

A collection of documents on Japan with a commentary by Thomas Rundall, Esq.

The discovery and conquest of Florida by Don Ferdinando de Soto. Translated out of Portuguese by Richard Hakluyt, and edited with Notes and an Introduction, by W. B. Rye, Esq.

Notes upon Russia, being a translation from the earliest account of that country, entitled Rerum Moscoviticarum commentarii, by the Baron Sigismund Von Herberstein, ambassador from the Court of Germany to the Grand Prince Vasiley Iranovich in the years 1517 and 1526, two Volumes. Translated and edited with Notes and an Introduction by R. H. Major, Esq. Vols. I. and II.

The Geography of Hudson's Bay, being the remarks of Captain W. Coats, in many voyages to that locality, between the years 1727 and 1751, with an appendix containing extracts from the log of Captain Middleton, on his voyage for the discovery of the northwest passage in H. M.'s "Furnace," in 1741-42. Edited by John Barrow, Esq., F. R. S., F. S. A.

Three voyages by the North-East towards Cathay and China undertaken by the Dutch in the years 1594, 1595 and 1596, with their discovery of Spitzbergen, their residence of ten months in Novaya Zemlya, and their safe return in two open boats, by Gerrit de Veer. Edited by C. T. Beke, Esq., PH. D., F. S. A.

The history of the great and mighty kingdom of China and the situation thereof, compiled by the Padre Juan Gonzalez de Mendoza, and now reprinted from the early translation of R. Parke. Edited by Sir George T. Staunton, Bart., with an Introduction by R. H. Major, Esq., 2 Vols.

The world encompassed by Sir Francis Drake, being his next voyage to that to Nombre de dios, collected with an unpublished MS. of Francis Fletcher, Chaplain to the expedition. With appendices illustrative of the same voyage, and Introduction by W. S. W. Vaux, Esq., M. A.

The history of the Tartar conquerors who subdued China, from the French of the Pére D'Orleans, 1688. Translated and edited by the Earl of Ellesmere with an Introduction by R. H. Major, Esq.

A collection of early documents on Spitzbergen and Greenland, consisting of a translation from the German of F. Marten's important work on Spitzbergen, now very rare; a translation from Isaac de la Peyrére's relation de Groenland, and a rare piece entitled God's Power and Providence showed in the miraculous preservation and deliverance of eight Englishmen, left by mischance in Greenland, Anno 1630, nine months and twelve days, faithfully reported by Edward Pelham. Edited with notes, by Adam White, Esq.

The voyage of Sir Henry Middleton to Bantam and the Maluco Islands. From the rare edition of 1606, edited by Bolton Corney, Esq.

Russia at the close of the sixteenth century comprising "The Russe Commonwealth" by Dr. Giles Fletcher and Sir Jerome Horsey's travels, now first printed entire from his MS. in the British Museum. Edited by E. A. Bond, Esq.

The travels of Girolamo Benzoni, in America in 1542-56. Translated and edited by Admiral W. H. Smyth, F. R. S., F. S. A.

India in the fifteenth century, being a collection of narratives of voyages to India in the century preceding the Portuguese discovery of the Cape of Good Hope; from Latin, Persian, Russian and Italian sources now first translated into English, edited with an Introduction by R. H. Major, Esq., F. S. A.

Narrative of a voyage to the West Indies and Mexico, in the years 1599 -1602, with maps and illustrations, by S. Champlain. Translated from the original and unpublished MS. with a Biographical notice and notes by Alice Wilmere. Edited by Norton Shaw.

Expeditions into the valley of the Amazons during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; containing the journey of Gonzalo Pizarro, from the Royal commentaries of Garcilasso Inca de la Vega; the voyage of Francisco de Orellana, from the General History of Herrera; and the voyage of Cristoval de Acuna, from an exceedingly scarce narrative written by himself in 1641. Edited and translated by Clements R. Markham, Esq.

Early indications of Australia; a collection of documents shewing the early discoveries of Australia to the time of Captain Cook. Edited by R. H. Major, Esq., F. S. A.

The embassy of Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo to the Court of Timour, 14036. Translated, with notes, a preface and an Introductory life of Timour Beg, by Clements R. Markham, Esq., F. R. G. S.

Henry Hudson the Navigator. The original documents in which his career is recorded, collected, partly translated and annotated with an introduction, by George Asher, Esq., LL. D.