May 31. 1848.-The Annual Meeting of the Society was held this day, at the Rooms of the American Academy in Boston. The President in the Chair.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

The Annual Report of the Directors was presented by the Corr. Secretary, in substance as follows:

THE Directors of the AMERICAN ORIENTAL SOCIETY respectfully present a report of their proceedings, for the year 1847-8:

It seems evident that it must be some time, before there will be any considerable number of persons, in this country, who apply themselves specially to oriental studies; not only because these studies want the attractiveness which general appreciation gives to an object, and the means of prosecuting them exist to a very limited extent, among us; but also because the oriental student in this country finds little sympathy, at present, between himself and the community of literary men, at large, around him, and is obliged to depend almost solely upon the close atmosphere of the narrow circle of personal activity, for the sustenance of intellectual life. But our Society may do much to correct this state of things, by contributing to the naturalization of oriental studies in this western clime; and we think it has advanced, during the past year, a few steps in the direction proper to be given to its operations for this end.

One thing which, almost more than any other, we consider as auguring favorably for its usefulness, is its having begun to place itself in the right position with respect to the already numerous and constantly increasing body of intelligent and educated Americans resident in various countries of the East, chiefly missionaries, who have it in their power to open the field of oriental learning, in an interesting manner, to those who are strangers to it, as well as to afford important materials to others, by communicating personal observations and the fruits of familiar knowledge.

The communications received by the Society during the year, from men of this class in Turkey, Syria and Persia, some of which will be read on the present occasion, satisfactorily indicate what they are ready and willing to do, if sufficient encouragement is given them; and there is reason to expect, that we shall soon have interesting and valuable

communications from Americans in eastern countries, missionaries and others, who have not yet been heard from.

But here we would suggest, whether it may be not advisable to renew, at the present time, a measure once already adopted, though never carried out, which was intended to render the Society's relations with its correspondents in the East, more directly effective for the advancement of knowledge. We refer to the plan of drawing up a series of questions on a variety of topics, to be addressed to our eastern friends, for the purpose of eliciting information from them. In our opinion, this measure might now lead to important results, and we hope it may be taken into consideration. Should it be approved, it would be proper to appoint a committee of several members of the Society to prepare and report such a series of questions, to be printed for distribution, either separately, or in our Journal.

Another movement in the Society the past year, which seems to us to promise well for it, has had for its object to promote the application of the study of classic authors to oriental researches. The accomplishment of this object would, we think, conduce to a wider interest in the Society among the friends of liberal learning in our country, besides being de sirable for other reasons which were pointed out on a previous occasion. We hope therefore, that the Society is prepared, at this time, to modify its Constitution with reference to it.

We anticipate an accession of strength to the Society, also, from certain changes in its Constitution to be effected, as we hope, at this meeting, which have been proposed in order to make it a less local institution than it now is.

There are, then, some grounds for encouragement. But, on the other hand, the Directors painfully feel the insufficiency of our Treasury to defray those expenses without which we can not exert the influence appropriate to such an Association. We will not now, though we might, urge the propriety of the Society's having a Room of its own in this city, to be the place of deposit for its library, and a centre of interest with respect to oriental knowledge. It has become necessary, however, to make known on this occasion, that our regular income from year to year does not even enable us to accomplish what we are called to do in the way of publication. The printing of some Vocabularies of African dialects presented by Rev. Mr. Wilson, which was executed last winter, for the sake of Mr. Wilson's personal correction of the press, and of the reports of the Directors lately distributed, when paid for, will exhaust all that portion

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of the past year's income, presently to be exhibited in the Treasurer's statement as not already actually expended. So that there is, at this time, no balance to the credit of the Society on the books of the Treasurer, of any amount, which is available for farther expenditures; and yet there are remaining in the hands of the Publishing Committee, unprinted, two important papers from the East, of considerable length, as well as some shorter ones, which ought not much longer to lie unused, if either justice to their authors, or our own reputation as a Society is regarded; while others are expected, which also will without doubt deserve to be printed. Besides, we are just now invited to aid the publication of a work which is thought to have claims to our encouragement, as the Corresponding Secretary will explain in a communication accompanying this report. There has also been an intimation from one of the honorary members of the Society in Paris, which may render it desirable, at no very distant day, to reprint the earlier Numbers of our Journal.

We trust therefore, that attention will be given to devising some plan for the enlargement of our pecuniary resources. May it not be best to attempt to raise a fund, the interest of which, added to the assessment annually levied, would defray all necessary expenses?

At our last annual meeting, it was stated that steps had been taken to establish correspondence with several kindred Societies in foreign countries. This has, without doubt, created some expectation abroad, with regard to what this Society will accomplish for the cause of oriental learning; and it would be highly discreditable to us to disappoint it.

But there is another view of our responsibilities which can not be disregarded. It has been justly said, that the extensive foreign commerce of this country places within our reach important facilities for becoming an organ of communication with the East. The commercial relations, however, of the United States with eastern countries will soon be far more extended and intimate than heretofore, and this country may even become the highway of intercourse between Europe and the East. For a plan was recently proposed in a Report to the House of Representatives of the United States, by Hon. Mr. King of Georgia, to establish a communication by Government steamers between Panama and certain ports of China, by the way of Monterey or San Francisco in California, connecting with the lines of steamers authorized last year, for the purpose of facilitating communication with our possessions on the Pacific,— a plan which, if carried out, will bring New York within thirty-five or forty days of Canton, and make the journey from London to Canton, by

the way of New York, fifteen or twenty days shorter than it now is by the so-called overland route. Nor is this a visionary scheme. On the contrary, the actual growth of our national commerce and reasonable anticipations as to its future development will certainly ere long lead to the establishment of rapid communication, and consequently to close intercourse between this country and the East, across the Pacific. How incumbent is it, therefore, upon us as a Society, to prepare by increasing activity to secure to science the full benefit of the familiarity with eastern countries to which our national commerce is likely to introduce us.

Let us, then, cheered by the light which seems to be breaking in upon us to direct our course, and stimulated by a generous emulation, form wise and liberal plans for the accomplishment of the objects for which we are associated, and pursue them with energy and perseverance. We are pledged to go forward.

We conclude this report by proposing a few changes in our Constitution, some of them merely verbal, which it may be well to consider in connection with those already recommended.

[These changes, so far as approved by the Society, will appear in a re-draft of the Constitution, soon to be published.]

In behalf of the Directors.

This report having been accepted, the proposed changes in the Constitution were severally considered; and some of them being approved, the Corr. Secretary was instructed to re-draft the Constitution in accordance therewith.

The suggestion in favor of appointing a Committee to prepare and report a series of questions, to be addressed to correspondents of the Society in the East, was adopted; and Dr. Anderson, Professors Sears, Robinson, Beck, Edwards and Gibbs, President Woolsey, and Mr. Salisbury, were appointed to constitute this Committee.

The Corr. Secretary then communicated the particulars of a correspondence with Rev. J. L. Merrick, late missionary in Persia, relative to a translation from the Persian, of the Hyât ul-Kulüb, a collection of She'ah traditions of the life and doctrines of Muhammed, which he offers to the Society

for publication; whereupon, this subject was referred to Professor Edwards, Rev. Theo. Parker, and Mr. Salisbury, with instructions to report hereafter what action is expedient on the part of the Society, with respect to it.

The Committee appointed at the last meeting to mature the plan of a Classical Section, for the promotion of classical learning in the Society, as auxiliary to oriental research, submitted a Report through Professor Felton, which was referred to Professors Beck, Felton and Sears, and Mr. Salisbury, with instructions to draft the By-laws necessary for the organization of a Classical Section.

The Treasurer then presented his account for the past year, showing $268.08 to the credit of the Society, $160.10 expended, and a balance on hand of $107.98, which, having been audited by Rev. Messrs. Parker and Taylor, was accepted.

On motion of the Treasurer, it was Voted: That a Committee be appointed to take into consideration and report at an early day, what measures, if any, are necessary to place the Treasury of the Society on such a footing, as shall secure that degree of usefulness which the position of the Society requires of it; and Messrs. Greenough, Treat and Salisbury were appointed to constitute this Committee.

On motion of Dr. Anderson, in accordance with one of the recommendations of the Report on the meetings of the Society, lately presented by Professor Edwards, it was Voted: That By-law VII. should be altered so as to read: [For the change here made, the reader is referred to the re-draft of the Constitution, soon to be published.]

The Society then chose for corresponding and corporate members, the following persons recommended by the Directors, viz. Dr. Rudolph Roth, of Tübingen; Rev. William M. Thomson, missionary in Syria; and Rev. Simeon H. Calhoun, missionary in Syria,-corresponding members;