REPORT

OF THE

COUNCIL OF THE CHINA BRANCH

OF THE

ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY,

FOR THE YEAR 1884.

Officers. At the Annual Meeting held on the 14th March 1884, the following gentlemen were elected Office-Bearers for the year:

E. B. DREW, President.

T. W. KINGSMILL,

F. HIRTH, PH. D. } Vice-Presidents.

E. ROCHER, Hon. Sec. and Treasurer.

LIEUT. G. VON KREITNER, Hon. Librarian.

F. W. STYAN, Hon. Curator of Museum.

G. JAMES MORRISON,

MAX. SLEVOGT,

C. DEIGHTON-BRAYSHER,

T. S. SOUTHEY,

Councillors.

There has been no change in the staff of Office-Bearers during the year, excepting that Capt. von Kreitner on the 1st December 1884 resigned the office of Librarian, owing to his transfer to Yokohama. The vacancy has not since been filled.

Meetings and Papers.-Thirteen General Meetings of the Society were held during 1884, and the following papers-thirteen in number-were read:

1.—A Buddhist Sheet-tract, with an Apologue of Human Life, translated, with Notes, by the Right Rev. Bishop G. E. Moule of Hangchow; 22nd January.

2. The Claims of the Chinese as the Inventors of Gunpowder and Fire-arms, by Dr. D. J. Macgowan of Wênchow; 14th March.

3. Trade Routes in Western China, by Alex. Hosie, Esquire, of H.B.M.'s Consular service, Chungking, Szechuen; 25th March. 4. A Journey in Chêkiang-First Part-by E. H. Parker, Esquire, H.B.M.'s Acting Consul at Wênchow; 28th March.

5.-The ancient Trade Routes between China and the Roman Empire (Ta-ts'in), by F. Hirth, Ph. D., of Shanghai; 4th April. 6. At the meeting of 11th April, no paper was read.

7.-A Journey in Chêkiang-Second Part-by E. H. Parker, Esquire; 16th April.

8.-Un Poëte Chinois du XVIII Siècle, Yuan Tseu-ts'ai, sa Vie, et ses Œuvres, by C. Imbault-Huart, Vice-Consul of France; 20th October.

9. A journey in Fukien,-Wênchow to Foochow, near the sea coast, by E. II. Parker, Esquire; 27th October.

10.-A journey through Central Fukien,-Foochow to Wênchow, by E. H. Parker, Esquire; 10th November.

11.-The Kaaba, or Great Shrine at Mecca, as described by Chinese, with notes on the old Arab Trade and remarks on Mahommedanism, by II. Kopsch, Esquire, Commissioner of Customs at Ningpo; 24th November.

12. The Serica of Ptolemy and its Inhabitants, by T. W. Kingsmill; 2nd December.

13-The Navigation of the Soul River, Corea; by Capt. F. W. Schultze; and the Early Use of Telephones in China, by Dr. D. J. Macgowan; 15th December.

Membership.-During the year 8 new members have been added to the Society's roll; and the number of members on the 31st December 1884 was as follows:-honorary 13, corresponding 28, and ordinary 120. The roll of a year previous (31st Dec. 1883) bore 14 honorary, 27 corresponding, and 138 ordinary members.

This falling off in membership means merely that the names of many persons have been removed from our list, who from long absence or other similar reasons have in point of fact ceased to be members, without actually resigning.

The Council regrets having to record the death of two members, viz: Monsignor de la Place, and Mr. Geo. Carter Stent, both well

known to all students of subjects pertaining to China and the Chinese Language.

Four members have resigned.

Lease to Shanghai Library.—On the 24th of December 1884 the Agreement between the Asiatic Society and the Shanghai Library was renewed, whereby the Asiatic Society engages to continue to let the East Wing of the Society's building to the Library for the 10 years, beginning 1st January 1883 and terminating on the 31st December 1892, at an annual rental of 100 Shanghai Taels. The deed, dated on the 24th December, was signed by Messrs. Drew, Kingsmill, and E. Rocher, as representatives of the Council, and by Messrs. P. J. Hughes and T. Latham for the Library.

Journals: Reprints.-Of the three early Journals which were to be reprinted, one has been published, viz: New Series V, 1868. A second (Old series, No. II May, 1859) is ready for distribution and sale: 450 copies have been prepared, at a total cost of $178.20. The third reprint has not yet been undertaken; but it has been found that it will cost $351.60 to reprint 450 copies. This journal contains a very large number of wood-cuts,-hence its high cost. Journal for 1883-The Journal for 1883, 226 pages, contains eight articles, besides Reports, Accounts, Lists of Members, Rules, and a List of Birds in the Shanghai Museum. The number of copies printed is 468 (not including 20 author's copies), and the cost is $182. 1t is ready for distribution and sale.

Journal for 1884.-The journal for 1884, First Part, about 130 pages is nearly ready for issue. It is to contain, besides Reports, Accounts, and the like, six articles. The first is entitled Animal, Fossil, Mineral and Vegetable Productions of the Ichang Consular District, by Consul C. T. Gardner. (This paper was not read before the Society, because its character was not considered to be of a kind suitable for reading.) Then follow the three articles by Mr. Parker descriptive of his journeys in Chêkiang and Fukien, Bishop Moule's Description and Translation of a Buddhist Tract, and Mr. Hosie's paper on Trade Routes in Western China, all which articles were read before the Society in the Spring of 1884. Of this volume 500 copies will have been prepared, besides 20 author's copies.

Unpublished Papers.-The paper by Dr. Hirth entitled "The ancient Trade Routes between Ta-ts'in and the Chinese Empire" is not to be published in our journal, as it forms part of his study entitled "China and the Roman Orient," which will shortly leave the press as an independent work. Respecting the remaining papers named at the beginning of this Report as having been read in 1884, it will be for the incoming Council to determine as to the publication of all or a portion of them as a Second Part in the Journal for 1884.

Shanghai Museum.-The Council calls the attention of the Society to the work accomplished during the year in the Museum: many old specimens have been replaced by new, public attention has been called to the want of more specimens of birds, and this call has been well responded to; and new show cases are being put up. The location of the Museum, as is universally admitted, is not such as to attract the public to it: but the present time is not a favorable one for bringing forward proposals for any radical changes respecting this institution.

Society's Finances.-As to the finances of the Society, the showing at this moment is not at first sight a very good one; but it need only be stated that the present want of a larger balance in the form of money is due to the fact that this balance is partly represented just now by an exceptional amount of books, i.e. the new Journals, and the Reprint, all as yet undistributed— by the sale of which funds will soon be again realised. We have good reason to expect a remittance from Trübner & Co. in April for journals sold; and we are looking to a like settlement with M. Leroux, the Paris bookseller.

Society's Library.-During the year 1884, but very few additions have been made to the Library; and the condition and requirements of this department ought, we think, to receive the special attention of the incoming Council. It is remarkable and no less a matter of regret, that our excellent library is so little used.

Want of public interest in meetings.-The fact is beyond question that little or no interest in our meetings is taken by the general public in Shanghai. During 1884 the meetings were held with

great regularity, both in the Spring and Autumn sessions, and they were freely advertised. The effect of these measures was, however, only insignificant. The questions whether the Society ought or ought not to endeavour to attract the public to our meetings, and, if so, how this is to be brought about, are for the new Council to deal with.

Subscriptions in arrear.-The only remaining matter to be referred to is the difficulty of obtaining from many of our members the regular and prompt payment of their subscriptions.

Possible usefulness of the Society.-It is beyond question that the China Branch of the Asiatic Society is an institution which foreign residents in China could ill do without. But it is equally beyond question that the value of the Society is not at this moment sufficiently appreciated as a means and a stimulus to the study of Sinology.