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138
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MAY, 1895.
and by Governments. A committee to settle & were in an unknown character and had not yet uniform system of transliteration to be adopt. been deciphered. Rubbings of these inscriptions ed by all Oriental Societies and by Oriental scho- were exhibited at a meeting of the Asiatic Society lars of all countries was then appointed. The of Bengal some months ago. members were Messrs. Socin, Barbier de Mey
(c) Mr. Cecil Bendall shewed rubbings of a short nard, de Gæje, Plankett, Lyon, Bühler, Senart,
inscription in the Indian Museum. The inscripWindisch, and de Saussure. The proceedings
tion is interesting, as being written in the someterminated at midday with the appointment of
what rare "wedge-headed " characters hitherto the Consultative Committee.
only found in Nepal, and was a unique example 3. The members of the Congress divided them. of an epigraph couched in literary Pali. It form. Belves in the afternoon into the following ed a portion of the collection made by Mr. Broadsections:
ley in Bihar. I. - India -
(d) Professor H. Oldenberg read a paper on President, Lord Reay; Vice-Presidents, the Vedio religion, in which he endeavoured to Messrs. Weber of Berlin, and Bühler of distinguish the mythical, the popular, the IndoVienna.
European, the Indo-Iranian, and the Indian I bis. - Aryan Linguistics
elements of the Vedas. He maintained that President, Signor Ascoli; Vice-Presidente, Varuna (the god of the ocean), was primitively a Messrs. Bréal and Schmidt.
lunar deity. This paper provoked some lively II. -Semitic Languages (non-Musalman) -
criticism on the part of Dr. Pischel, the leader of President, M. Kautzsch; Vice-Presidents,
the Euhemeristic School of Vedic scholars. Messrs. J. Oppert, Tiele, and Almkvist. (c) Professor von Schroeder read an import. III. - Musalman Languages -
ant paper on the Kathaka recension of the Yajur
Veda, its manuscripts, its system of accentuation, President, M. Schefer; Vice-Presidents,
and its relationship with the works of the Indian Messrs. de Goje, Goldziher, and Sachau.
Grammarians and Lexicographers. A manuscript IV. - Egypt and African Languages -
of the work recently found by Dr. Stein in Kasmir President, M. Maspero; Vice-Presidents,
has revealed many peculiarities, and has enabled Messrs. Lepage, Renouf, and Lieblein.
Dr. von Schroeder to recogize several allusions to V. - The Far East -
the work in the sútras of Pånini. President, M. Schlegel ; Vice-Presidents, 1 (f) Professor Leumann gave an interesting acMessrs. Cordier and Valenziani.
count of the Jaina Avasyaka, more especially VI. - Greece and the East -
of the two first parts of that work, - the Samdytka, President, M. Merriam ; Vice-Presidents,
a kind of prose creed, and the Chaturvinsatistava. Messrs. Perrot and Bikélas.
He presented a facsimile of a manuscript of this This was a new section, opened for the
work, which he intends to publish by subscription.
Professor Weber drew attention to the great reasons given in M. Naville's presiden
antiquity and importance of the Samáyika. The tial address.
members present congratulated Prof. Leumann VII.--Oriental Geography and Ethnography -
and wished him every success in his enterprise. President, Professor A. Vambéry; VicePresidents, Prince Roland Bonaparte,
(g) A short paper was read by Dr. Pfungst on and M. de Claparède.
“Esoteric Buddhism,” which he described as This also was a new section.
based on ideas held by a number of incompetent
persons. Messrs. Kuhn, Weber, Leumann and 4. Section I. (India). --This section held seven
Bühler, etc., cordially agreed with Dr. Pfungst sittings, and among the subjects of interest may
and the so-called system was denounced on all be mentioned the following:
sides as ein vollständiger schwindel. Dr. Pfungst (a) Professor Weber spoke in moving terms proposed that the section should pass a formal on the late regretted death of Prof. Whit- resolution to that effect, but this did not meet ney, the great American Sanskritist. On the with the approval of the savans present, as the motion of Lord Reay, the President of the section, general opinion was that the subject was beneath a message of condolence was sent to the widow the cognizance of scholars. The remarks of Prof. of the deceased scholar.
Weber on the political importance of the move(6) M. Senart laid before the members present ment were specially noteworthy, as shewing the some photographs of inscriptions lately discover- close interest taken in Indian affairs by German ed by Major Deane in Afghan territory. They scholars.
