the termination of the preliminary labours and researches, would be shared among different Egyptologists willing and competent to participate in such a work. This division of labour would be settled by agreement of the committee with the several collaborateurs. The nomination of this committee will not be timely until the means for carrying out the undertaking shall have been secured. For the work of collecting all the materials M. Edouard Naville, of Geneva, was proposed, and his acceptance of the commission was unanimously deemed desirable. Since, unhappily, he was detained through temporary ill-health from appearing at the Congress, it was understood that a proposal to this effect would be made to him on the part of the President of the Congress and of the Hamitic Section, Dr. Birch. THE MANSION HOUSE BANQUET. According to the invitation of the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Sir Andrew Lusk, Bart., M.P., the members of the International Congress of Orientalists met on Saturday evening, September 19, at the Mansion House, to partake of his hospitality. The " Loving Cup" having gone round, the Lord Mayor, in a characteristic speech, proposed the health of the Queen and the Royal Family, and "Success to the International Congress of Orientalists." He said that "one touch of nature made the whole world kin," and it had occurred to him that Oriental and Occidental people were all able to dine, and that he could not do better than take them on that common ground, and request the honour of their presence that evening. He then called upon Professor de Rosny. Professor Léon de Rosny having responded, The Lord Mayor then proposed "The present Members of the Oriental Congress," coupling with the toast the names of Dr. Birch, Professor Lepsius, and Mr. Shankar Pandurang Pandit; each of whom returned thanks in appropriate speeches. Sir Bartle Frere next rose, and said he felt himself fortunate in having entrusted to him a toast which did not require many words to recommend it to unanimous approval, viz. "The Health of the Lord Mayor." The Lord Mayor, in returning thanks, said, though he could not respond in Sanskrit, Egyptian, or Bengali, yet he felt truly grateful for the compliment paid him. He went on to say that he had a toast to interpolate-"The health of His Holiness the Patriarch of Syria," the head of a Church founded by St. Peter, and also of, perhaps, the most primitive and simple Christian Church which had come down to the present time. The Patriarch responded in his native language, and his speech was interpreted by Mr. E. T. Rogers, late H.B.M. Consul at Cairo. The Lord Mayor next proposed "The Presidents of the Sections," Sir H. Rawlinson, M. E. Grant Duff, Esq., M.P., and Professor Max Müller. Sir H. Rawlinson, in responding on behalf of the Semitic Section, said: Oriental scholars, like all other scholars, belonged to the genus irritabile, and he believed there were none in that assembly who had passed their literary life without having given and received hard blows. Now personal intercourse softened the asperity of literary controversy, and those who had been opposed on literary subjects would find on meeting, that, although they might differ on certain matters, they were still gentlemen and scholars, and in their future controversies they would adopt to each other a more kindly tone from having met together at the social board. Mr. M. E. Grant Duff, M.P., then returned thanks in a brief speech, to leave time, as he said, for the President of the Aryan Section, who had been so pointedly challenged by the Lord Mayor. Professor Max Müller then rose, and in a speech, alluding to Eastern, and comparing it with Western, hospitality, and bringing in the Eastern myth said to be the origin of "Dick Whittington and his Cat," told the Lord Mayor he might rest assured that after the truly Eastern banquet of to-night-a banquet which, in the grateful remembrance of all here present, will rank as the thousand and second Arabian Nights entertainment-he will for ever be known among Oriental scholars as the hospitable, magnificent, and truly Oriental Lord Mayor of London. The health of the Lady Mayoress having been proposed by Prince Charles of Roumania, and acknowledged by the Lord Mayor, the company retired. VISIT TO THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. On Monday, September 21, a large gathering of members of the Congress was held in the Library of the British and Foreign Bible Society, Queen Victoria Street, E.C. The Rev. R. B. Girdlestone, who is the head of the Translation and Editorial Department, took the Members round the room, and showed specimens of some of the earliest printed translations of the Bible in various languages. The attention of the savants was also directed to the Oriental MSS., specially the Ethiopic Biblical MSS., in which the library is very rich. Specimens of the Society's versions in about 200 languages and dialects were exhibited, and many of them proved very attractive, such as the Revised Tamil Bible, the various Chinese versions, Bibles in the South Sea Languages, the African and North American Indian versions. It may be mentioned that last year the Congress at Paris awarded a bronze medal and diploma to the British and Foreign Bible Society in consequence of the excellence of the versions exhibited on the occasion. LIST OF MEMBERS. SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ORIENTALISTS, LONDON, 1874. JOSEPH BONOMI. ERNEST DE BUNSEN. President: S. BIRCH, LL.D., F.S.A. Committee: The Rt. Rev. Bishop CALLAWAY, R. CULL, F.S.A. Prof. DONALDSON, Ph.D., F.S.A. S. M. DRACH, M.R.A.S. CESAR DALY. JOHN HENDERSON, M.A., F.S.A. LL.D., M.R.A.S. Professor R. OWEN, C.B. Major-Gen. Sir H. C. RAWLINSON, M. E. GRANT DUFF, M.P., M.R.A.S. W. SIMPSON, F.R.G.S. Professor EGGELING. Sir W. ELLIOT, K.C.S.I., M.R.A.S. Colonel SETON GUTHRIE, R.E., GEORGE SMITH. E. THOMAS, F.R.S., M.R.A.S. Treasurer: J. W. BOSANQUET, M.R.A.S., 73, Lombard Street, E. C. Hon. Secretaries : Professor ROBERT K. DOUGLAS, M.R.A.S.) 22, Albemarle Street, W. R. COOPER } Hon. Foreign Secretary: Piccadilly, W. P. LE PAGE RENOUF, 22, Albemarle Street, W. |