Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society/Volume 1/Proceedings of the Society

PROCEEDINGS OF THE STRAITS BRANCH OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY.

Minutes of Meetings held at the Raffles Library, Singapore, Monday the 4th November 1877.

Present.

The Ven. Archdeacon G. F. Hose.

N. B. Dennys, Esq., Ph. D.

A. Gray, Esq.„

D. F. A. Hervey, Esq.„

The Hon. C. J. Irving, Esq.„

W. E. Maxwell, Esq.„

F. Maxwell, Esq.„

W. A. Pickering, Esq.„

A. M. Skinner, Esq.„

J. D. Vaughan, Esq.„

The Venerable Archdeacon Hose having been requested to take the Chair, Mr. A. M. Skinner explained the object of the Meeting,—that of forming a Society to promote the collection and record of information relating to the Straits Settlements and the neighbouring countries.

Mr. Skinner proposed and Mr. Irving seconded,

"That the gentlemen present form themselves into a Society for collecting and recording Scientific information in the Malay Peninsula aud Archipelago: the said Society to be, for the present, called the "Straits Asiatic Society."

Mr. Hervey proposed and M. W. E. Maxwell seconded,

That the gentlemen present form themselves into a provisional Committee, any three of whom will form a quorum."

Dr. N. B. Denuys proposed and Mr. Vaughan seconded,

"That the Committee be requested to communicate with the Royal Asiatic Society with a view to the Society being incorporated as the Straits Branch of that Society."

Mr. A. Gray proposed and Mr. W. A. Pickering seconded,

"That the subscription of the Society be fixed at $6 per annum; and that the Hon. C. J. Irving be requested to act as Honorary Treasurer."

Mr. Irving consented to accept the office, and Dr. Dennys agreed to act as Honorary Secretary until the receipt of the answer from the Royal Asiatic Society,

The following gentlemen having previously signified their interest in the establishment of such a Society, though unable to be present at the Meeting, it was agreed that their names should be included in the List of "Original Members" to be sent to the Royal Asiatic Society with the application for incorporation:—viz.

The Hon. J. Douglas, C. M. G.

The„ Hon, W. Adamson.

Herbert Cope, Esq.

F. Kehding, Esq.„

Monday, the 21st January, 1878.

A draft of Rules for the regulation of the Society was taken into consideration and after discussion Rules were agreed to in the form appended.

The election of Officers and Councillors for 1878 was then proceeded with, the result being as follows:—

Ven. Archdeacon Hose, President.

J. D. Vanghan, Esq., Vice President for Singapore.

D. Logan, Esq., Vice President for Penang.

Hon. C. J. Irving, Honry. Treasurer.

N. B. Dennys Esq., Ph. D., Honry Secretary (pro: tem :)

The Hon. J. Douglas, C. M. G.

Ernest Bieber, Esq., L. L. D.

A. M. Skinner, Esq.

E. Koek, Esq.„

J. Miller, Esq.„

In discussing the future place of Meeting for the Society, the Hon. J. Douglas, Chairman of the Committee of Management of the Raffles Institution stated that he believed there would be no objection to the use of the rooms of the Library and Museum on any evening, except Tuesday and Friday in each week.

Monday, the 5th February, 1878.

An Editorial Committee was chosen consisting of the following members:-

The Ven. Archdeacon G. F. Hose.

The„ Hon. C. J. Irving.

A. M. Skinner, Esq.

N. B. Dennys, Esq., Ph. D.

It was decided that the first monthly General Meeting should be held at the Raffles Library on Thursday 28th February 1878, when the President would read his Inaugural Address.

Thursday, the 28th February, 1878.

Members of the Council Present.

Ven. Archdeacon G. F. Hose. President.

J. D. Vaughan Esq., Vice President for Singapore.

The Hon'ble C. J. Irving, Honry. Treasurer.

N. B. Dennys Esq. Ph. D. Honry. Secretary.

The Hon'ble J. Douglas, C. M. G.

Ernest Bieber, Esq. L. L. D.

A. M. Skinner, Esq.„

E. Kock, Esq.„

J. Miller, Esq.„

The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed.

On the recommendation of the Council 35 gentlemen were elected Members of the Society.

The President proposed that Mr. M. Maclay, the distinguished Russian Traveller, who was at present residing in the Settlement, and who, as was well known, had extensively explored the Malay Peninsula and the coasts of New Guinen, should be elected an Honorary Member of the Society. The proposition was seconded by Mr. Skinner, and was carried unanimously.

The Ven. Archdeacon Hose delivered his Inaugural Address, as President of the Society, see page 1.

Mr. Skinner, at the request of the President, exhibited a sketch Map of the Malay Peninsula on a large scale, which is being gradually filled in as surveys are made or as information is otherwise received; and drew attention to the great extent to which the Peninsula still remained unexplored, even after all the recent additions that had been made to our knowledge.

The Honorary Secretary read a paper on "the Breeding Pearls of Borneo" (see page 34) and exhibited Specimens.

The Hon'ble Mr. Douglas moved that a vote of thanks be given to the President for his valuable and interesting address. This was cordially agreed to: and after a few words of acknowledgement from the President, the Meeting separated.

Monday, the 1st April, 1878.

Members of the Council present:

The Ven. Archdeacon Hose. President.

J. D. Vaughan, Esq., Vice. President for Singapore.

N. B. Dennys, Esq., Ph. D. Honry. Secretary.

Hon. J. Douglas, Esq., C. M. G.

A. M. Skinner, Esq.

E. Bieber, Esq., L. L. D.

The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed.

On the recommendation of the Council 23 Gentlemen were elected Members of the Society.

The Honorary Secretary Dr. N. B. Dennys drew attention to the circumstances under which he had accepted, as a temporary arrangement, the office of Honorary Secretary to the Society; and proposed that the office should now devolve Mr. A. M. Skinner in accordance with the arrangement upon which had been contemplated at the time. Mr. Skinner expressed his willingness to undertake the duties, and the change was agreed to.

Mr. J. D. Vaughan read a paper on "The Chinese in Singapore. Some discussion ensued in which Dr. Dennys, Mr. Douglas, and the Chairman successively took part.

Monday, the 6th May, 1878.

Members of the Council present.

The Ven. Archdeacon Hose, President.

J. D. Vaughan, Esq. Vice President for Singapore.

Hon. C. J. Irving. Honry. Treasurer.

A. M. Skinner, Esq. Honry. Secretary.

Hon. J. Douglas, C. M. G.

E. Bieber, Esq. L. I. D.

N. B. Dennys, Esq. Ph. D.

E. Koek, Esq.

The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed.

On the recommendation of the Council 9 Gentlemen were elected Members of the Society.

The President communicated to the Meeting the substance of a letter received from the Royal Asiatic Society, in which that Society agreed to the affiliation of the Straits Asiatic Society as a Branch, and undertook to exchange publications.

It was resolved, that the full name of the Straits Asiatic Society shall henceforth be changed to the "Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society."

It was resolved, that it shall be a rule of the Society to request the Governor of the Straits Settlements, for the time being, to be Patron of the Society and that His Excellency Sir W. F. C. Robinson be invited to accept that office.

A paper on the origin of the Chinese Triad Societies was read by W. A. Pickering, Esq.

A conversation upon the actual position and practise of the Tan Tae Höey in the Straits followed.

The Hon. Secretary then read a paper of Mr. N. Maclay's upon, "The Dialects of the Melanesian tribes in the Malay Peninsula."

This gave rise to a discussion upon the identity of the aboriginal races in the North and South of the Peninsula, and the marks of their connection with other Asiatic races to be found in their language, physical peculiarities, &c., and a proposal was made by Hon'ble J. Douglas, and heartily agreed to, that the other Branches of the Royal Asiatic Society in the East should be asked to assist this Branch in collecting Vocabularies and otherwise throwing light on this subject.

At the Monthly General Meeting of the Straits' Asiatic Society held on Monday evening the 3rd Jane there were present, of the Council, Archdeacon Hose, (President), Mr. A. M. Skinner, (Honry. Secretary), Dr. Bieber and Messrs. Miller and Koek; besides 35 members and visitors. Messrs. Tolson and Schomburgk Syeds Maliomed bin Ahmed, and Abu Bakar bin Omar, and Inches Mahomed Seyd, Ibrahim and Mahomed bin Maboob were elected Members. It was announced that H. E. the Governor had accepted the office of Patron to the Society.

The President then read extracts from M. Maclay's paper on the wild Tribes of the Peninsula, translated from the German.

The Honry. Seeretary (Mr. Skinner) then read a paper furnished by W. E. Maxwell, Esq., Assistant Resident of Perak, on the Proverbs of the Malays, exclusive of those to be found in the works of Klinkert, Favre and Marsden; Dr. Dennys' paper on the Snake-eating Serpent (Ophiophagus Elaps) of Singapore, was read by the President, in the unavoidable absence of Dr. Dennys. In the course of the proceedings, it was stated that the Journal is almost ready for publication.

The Meeting then adjourned to the date of its next regular meeting, the 1st July.