I. Statements respecting the Operations of American Missionary Socie- ties and their Missionaries, in the East and other quarters of the II. List of American Voyages, Travels and other works, relating to the III. Extracts from the Report made to the Asiatic Society of Paris May 30, 1842, by M. J. MOHL, Assistant Secretary, followed by IV. Extract from the Journal Asiatique, on the Progress made in read- ing the Cuneiform Inscriptions, V. Extract from Dobbins's preface to his edition of Diodati's Exercitatio de Christo Græcè loquente, on the present state of philological MEMOIR ON THE HISTORY OF BUDDHISM, read before the Society May .... Asiatique for November, 1822, by J. P., CHINA: ITS POPULATION AND TRADE; AND THE PROSPECT OF A TREATY, A TREATISE ON ARAB MUSIC, chiefly from a work by Mikhail Meshâkķah, of Damascus, translated from the Arabic by ELI SMITH, (with two NOTES ON ARAKAN, by the late Rev. G. S. COMSTOCK, American Baptist Missionary in that country, from 1834-44, (with a Map, by Rev. by Rev. Dr. KRAPF, with an Introduction by W. W. GREENOUGH, M. BURNOUF ON THE HISTORY OF BUDDHISM IN INDIA, by EDWard E. PROFESSOR LASSEN'S ANTIQUITIES OF INDIA, by E. E. S., 299 RESEARCHES, by E. E. S., (with two plates,)....... COMPARATIVE VOCABULARIES OF SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL NEGRO DIALECTS THE ZULU AND OTHER DIALECTS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA, by Rev. LEWIS GROUT, Missionary of the American Board among the Zulus, ET-TABARY'S CONQUEST OF PERSIA BY THE ARABS, translated from the Turkish by JOHN P. BROWN, Esq., Dragoman of the United States TRANSLATION OF AN IMPERIAL BERÂT, ISSUED BY SULTAN SELIM III. ..... A. H. 1215, appointing the monk Hohannes Patriarch of all the Armenians of Turkey, with Notes, by Rev. H. G. O. DWIGHT, Mis- ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE SIGNS OF THE PERSIAN CUNEIFORM ALPHA- BET, by EDWARD E. SALISBURY, (with a plate,) ON THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN SYRIA, by 561 ADVERTISEMENT. THE present publication forms the first number of the Journal proposed to be issued by the American Oriental Society, which has been lately established in this city. The plan and objects of the Society are particularly stated in the following Extract from a Report made by a Committee of the Society, and in the accompanying Address, delivered on the occasion of their first Annual Meeting. It should be stated, that the Address was originally intended for the members of the Society only; but afterwards a different arrangement was deemed expedient, and a wish was expressed that it should be delivered in some place open to the public. In consequence of this, a departure from the original plan of the Address, in some respects, became necessary; and some parts of the subject are treated in a more popular form, than would otherwise have been the case. This, it is hoped, may be a sufficient apology for any portions of it which may not have been expected in an Address intended for an association of scholars. It should be stated also, that parts of it, which were omitted in the delivery for want of time, are here retained. EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT OF A COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN ORIENTAL SOCIETY. "Sometime in August last [1842] an informal meeting of a few gentlemen, interested in Oriental Literature, was held at the office of John Pickering, Esq. in Boston, to consider the practicability and expediency of forming an American Oriental Society. After some conversation it was decided to make the experiment, and a committee was appointed to report a Constitution; and the meeting was adjourned to the 7th of September. A Constitution was accordingly reported at the adjourned meeting; and, after some discussion of its details, was recommitted for the purpose of introducing some amendments suggested in the course of conversation. The Society was then organized by the choice of officers, and proceeded to the election of members. "On the 13th of October, a meeting of the Society was held, (at the office of John Pickering, Esq. the President,) and the amended Constitution, with a code of By-Laws, was reported and accepted. At this meeting additional members were elected, and the President of the Society was requested to deliver a discourse at the first annual meeting to be held in May. "An act of Incorporation having been applied for, and obtained from the Legislature at the last Session, the first meeting of the incorporated Society was held on the 7th of April, at the house of J. J. Dixwell, Esq. the Treasurer; the Constitution was re-adopted, with some amendments, and the Society was organized under the act by the election. of officers." |