R, Arthur Carle de Sowerby, was the speaker during yes!
Shanghai, Feb. 3. the recently re-elected president terday afternoon's meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society which was held at the Society's Hall at 20
Museum Road. In his president ial address, Mr. Sowerby said.
In spite of many vicissitudes, the Society has grown with the city, not, perhaps, at the same ate as the latter, but certainly to a degree that would have surprised its founders could they but have looked into the future.
'The Society's present membership of 750. would' also probably have agreeably surprised them, and made them feel that they had done a fine thing in loying the foundations of on Institution that has catered to the cultural needs of a big city for over three-quarters of a century.
You should fee! proud of belonging to such an institution, for it stands fan eloquent witness to the fact that this community, which so often has been adversely eritized as a sink of iniquity, wholly given over to plea~ sure seeking and the pursuit ofthe Almighty Dollar, has by no means been dead to the better things of life, its msthetle and intellectual side.
Twice in the Society's history it he made n appeal to the Shanghai community for funds wherewith to provide it with a home, and on both occasions those appeals have been: met with a generosity and an apprecia tion of the Society's aims that give the He to those visiting authors and Journalists who have abused the hospitality of this city by trying to blacken its character with calumnies as base as they have been groundless, First Building on site animals which have definite meanings to the Chinese populace since hundreds of years.
The speaker divided Chinese animal legends and myths into two distinct closees, the religious and the mira-lous and super-natural which latter, the speaker said, were more like our European fairy tales. Mr. Sowerby also remarked that Chinese animal myths go back in their origin to the pre-Han times and ore partially Yraceable to the animal cult of the Huns, Seythians and other Central "Undoubtedly," the speaker continued, "this ancient animal cult, not only influenced the carly art of the Chinese, but it also. impregnated their folklore and mythology, which were strongly animalistic.
Mr. Sowerby then went into details regarding certain myths and legends and after he had concluded, a num~ ber of questions were asked by members of the interested audience.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.