New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-25
THE ORIENTAL SOCIETY.
MEETING AT BOSTON.

CouNrRY-pHRNIcIAS INSCRIPTIONS II BRAZIL
FoRGERY-CRrTICAL EXAMINATION AS TO AU-
THEsTIcrrY, &C., OF THE OLD TEsrAMENr-rnE
HEART, LUNGS, AND LIVER IN DIFFERENT
LANGUAGES.
lFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRrBUNEl
BosroN Nav 21.-Be it known to such as
not acquainted with the facts, that the American
oriental Society born in the year la5, that IL IL
therefore twenty years od that has no less than
$50 members mostly college professors, terateurs. DIS
tngushed philoiogsts, aud explorers In the Oriental
and antique-all however, wearing our American
sarb and or them speaking English without ac-
cent Farther that IL has a library in New Haven OF
about 1000 volumes which ~ yearly enriched by ex
changing its publications with those OF nearly
every sma society in the Old World that II Is also In
possession of several important ssnscrt inscriptions
and valuable Greek inscription from Antioch, which
referred to the third century before Christ not to
mention sufficient amount OF trash which always con-
sttutes the lumber OF such societies IL is perhaps ne
eessary addfor nobody would discover 1t except by
sccidentthat Society holds two meetings each year.
one generally in New Haven in the FALL and the other
in Boston In the Spring.
The need this explanation is found in the fact that
this Society moves with mued oars and 10 enabled TO
steal and forth from NewIaven to Boston with
contributing in the slightest TO the noise which
exists in the vulgar world further explanation Is
that like all polygot societies. it IS the perfect horror
ciproca Under these circumstances, It was not sur
prsng that the annual meeting held yesterday In the
rooms Of the American Academy OF Science and Arts,
at the Athenaum, small in point OF numbers and
that received little recognition from the daily
press Yet every other man OF the twenty who were
thus ignored OF scholarly or intellectual prom
nence and the meeting one OF the most interesting
the Society has held send you some crumbs that fell
from the table.
There we're present Prof Edward E. salisbury, Pres
ident Of the Society and formerly Professor in Yale
College; Dr.. Ezra Abbott Recording Secretary or the
Society aud Professor in Harvard Divinity School, ono
OF accomplished biblical and classical scholars
in country the Rev. DR.. A. p Peabody Professor
Of Moral Science in Harvard University; Prof. c. VI.
Mead of Andover the Rev. Dr. Rufus Anderson, Secre
tary OF American Board OF Foreign Missions the Rev.
selah Merrill OF And0ver Prof. w. d. Whitney OF Yale,
Corresponding Secretary, known not only to all ORR
entail and linguistic scholars in this country and Europe
for his original contributions TO literature, but es-
pecay known your readers the correspondent Of
THE TRIBUNE with the Hayden expedition last year; the
Hon. j. II. TrLmbull OF Hartford, the oracle on all
matters relating 10 indian languages. and whose
Yankee skill in untying pathological knots seems almost
inultive DR.. VIM. Hayes Ward editor OF The hide
pendent who, original explorer IN Hebrew and
Phenician never fails TO contribute TO tue
interest OF the Society the Rev. j. W.
jerks, DR.. Nathaniel Hopper OF Cambridge,
Frederick
Stephen Salisbury Of Worcester; Prof Felix Adler,
Professor of Oriental Literature Cornell University,
one OF the youngest and boldest contributors Of the
Society; Dr.. Dmmock OF Quincy; Prof. Charles
Carroll Everett Harvard University, who has brought
rare genius for philosophy 60 the Interpretation on
the Oriental religions; T g. Perry OF Cambridge; and
Ex- Mayor Russell.
The routine business OF the Society was dis
patched The officers o, the preceding year were all
reelected The Rev II. F. jerks Of Boston Prof Felix
Adler OF Cornell University Charles p Obe, Professor
OF Modern Languages in the Massachusetts, institute OF
Technology; Howard Osgoei Of Brooklyn. " T.; and
Isaac :. Hall Of Nsw-York, were elected members.
The neurology Of the year shows the loss Of Charles
Aston Bristed Prof. Alpheus Crosby Of Salem; j. T.
Meine OF BrooKlyn aud Dr. Francis Mason, and called
forth appropriate remarks from Prof Wntaey the Rev
| Dr. Peabody. the Rev. Dr.. Anderson. and Dr. Ward.
! WHO HAS LOST Manuscript
Prof whitney read the correspondence since the last
meeting. letter rom che Rev Charles H. Brigham OF
Ann Harbor Mich, may result in finding the owner OF
stray manuscript picked up last November the
premises Of the Michigan Central Railway by laborer.
The manuscript made OF thin, soft parchment in the
form OF a roll and, according to Mr.. Brgham's descrp-
ton Is a genuine Ethopic document IL was conlec-
tured by some OF the members that the manuscript
might have been obtained in ADyssinia by some one
who accompanied the late English expedition.
The Rev. Mr.. Trowbrdse from Turkey gave an inter
estiug account OF arrOw-headed inscriptions in the
vicinity Antab to which place ne Is ABOUT 20 return
TO establish college. In monasteries in the Taurus
Mountains he had very beautiful manuscripts
IN the ancient Armenian language He expected great
good would from the establishment Of the college.
which light be regarded By the people repository
for insert ptous and manuscripts. MI Trow0ritge
encouraged by the Society explore ancient ruins In
the vicinity OF his field OF missionary labor and TO send
home at the society expense whatever might be vau-
able.
The paper following was by Prof Flske P Brewer on
the Greek inscriptions found near Beirout, which
published IN the second number OF the proceedings Of
the American Palestine Exploring Society.
Prof Mead OF Andover read paper on the use OF the
Hebrew KoL with negatives In Hebrew universal
negatou is expressed by the OF this word meaning
ain with a negative particle. There is no compound
word corresponding TO word none " aud no."
Grammarians have rekrred to but passage in the
Bible OF a partial neestion Mum. xiii, 49, Prof.
Mead undertook TO examine AL places in the Bible
where Eoi occurs with Q negative. He examined 526
passages Only six of these be called cases OF par
nal Nc ytiou and all Of these in sentences
n which KOi Is made definite.
The remaining papers OF the morning session were on
the Chinese Sien Consultations, by Prof whitney;
on Certain Phenican and Greek Inscriptions rom Cy-
prus by Dr. Ward the Klamath Inscriptions with
remarks on Lenormant, also by Or. Ward. Copies OF
these inscriptions shown to members. DR.. Ward
also remarked on a supposed Pnencian inscription
found IN Brazil purporting 60 have been left by mari
ners He was entirely convinced that IL was forgery,
though a very ingenious II was dated In the time
of King Hiram, which would require more antique
form OF letter than that which vas used, Photograph
icaly IL would hardly be older than the hfh century
B. C. For inscription so Old as this purports TO De-
the state OF preservation remarkable, aud another
evidence of the forgery Dr. Ward thinks this forgery
NAV be an incident OF the struggle between the Masons
AMI the priests Brazil, King Hiram being invoked by
the former in this way give antiquity 20 their claim.
The Society then took a from 10 o'clock. The
afternoon session more Lively than that OF the
morning, and distinguished for the bold straight