In reference to this subject I would, with the permission of the Society, throw out a suggestion for its favorable consideration, whether we should not contribute in some degree to the successful carrying out of a scheme which promises to add so largely to Geographical science (for it is in this point of view only that the Society, as a body, can properly regard it) by present ing Dr. Krapf with a set of instrumen ts such as a pocket chronometer, sextant, barometer thermometer, prismatic compass, Nautical Almanac, &c, which would tend materially to the accuracy of his future observations. On throwing out this suggestion to the Rev. Mr Isenberg, his friend and former colleague, that gentleman assured me that such a present would be most acceptable, and that moreover, Dr. Krapf would, to the utmost of his power, to further the views of the Society in so far as he could do so without trenching on the paramount object of his mission. Mr. Smith added, that in the event of his suggestion meeting a favorable reception, it would be desirable that the instruments should be procured as soon as possible, as the season for the Buggalows leaving Bombay for Mombas is approaching its termination. The Chairman said that the matter seemed of so much importance that Government ought to be applied to, to assist the Missionaries in their researches:-they appeared to be almost entirely without instruments of any description, and surely when they provided everything else for themselves, and imposed on themselves the task of discovery, the means of making it might be supplied them at the public charge, seeing how much the public were gainers by their labours. It was stated that both at Poona and Bombay there were abundance of instruments, which the Court of Directors had provided for the Engineers' Institution, laying perfectly useless, and not likely to be required in the public service. It was added, however, that, in consideration of the importance of dispatch without loss of time, and the enormous amount of time required before any arrangement of this sort could be concluded with Government, it would be better that they should not be troubled on the subject, but that everything that was desired should be provided at once from private resources, so as to avoid trouble and delay, and save writing to the Government unnecessarily-which was unanimously assented to. A large collection of very valuable works, from America, was laid on the table-presents from the Smithsonian Institution, and from the United States' Government, from whom a previous donation of much value had been received. It was remarked that the splendid works now before them, got up at the national expense, connected with the magnificent offer lately made by the National Observatory of fifteen hundred dollars to assist in the construction of Current Charts for the Indian seas, afford us views of the liberality and enlightenment of a Republican Government in a great measure new to us, and for which national prejudices had prevented us preparing ourselves. The following is a list of the letters, papers, &c., laid before the meeting: LETTERS. 1. From Dr Ross, dated Kohat 30th Dec., 1851, enclosing a draft for Rs. 13, and forwarding meteorological register for June, July, August, and part of September, and October, taken at Kohat. 2. From C. C. Rafu, Esq., Secretary R. S. N. A. dated Copenhagen, 4th June 1851, forwarding for presentation to the Geographical Society, from the Earl of Ellesinere, the "Guide to Northern Archaeology." 3. From Captain Gaisford, dated Ahmednuggur, 31st January, intimating his baving made over the Rain Gauge to Captain Pottinger, on account of his being about to leave India. 4. From the Secretary of the Literary Society Madras, dated 15th January, informing that a copy of their Journal published since 1839, and at present procurable, will be forwarded at an early opportunity. From Lieut. Rivers, dated Ahmedabad, 29th Jan., on the subject of establishing a tide gauge in the Gulf of Cambay. From Dr Knight, dated Kotah, 23rd January, forwarding a draft on the Sub.Treasurer at Fort William for Rs. 209 on account of instruments. From Messrs Remington & Co., dated 20th January, forwarding a copy of Society's Account Current made up to the 31st July, 1851. From Venayekrow Jagonathjee, Esq., forwarding, for presentation to the Society, a Pamphlet on the Letters on the Cotton and Roads of India. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. From Ahmedabad, Alibag, Bhooj, Broach, Dharwar, Kholapoor, Pahlunpoor, Sawunt Warree, and Surat, for October, November, and December 1851. From Calcutta, Sattara, stations of Cuddalore and Coconada and Trevandrum, for December. From stations of Bangalore, Calicut, Cannanore, Chittoor, Cochin, French Rocks, Guntoor, Hurryhur, Kamptee, Madura, Mangalore, Mercara, Palamcotta, St. Thomas's Mount, and Trichinopoly, for November 1851: From stations of Mergui and Tavoy for August and September. From the station of Cuddalore, for October and November. From Penang for October. From Kohat for June, and July, August, and September. From Nursingpoor from April to October, kept by Dr. Ford. BOOKS Smithsonian contributions to knowledge, 2 vols. History of the Condition and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States, 1 vol. Appendix 1 to vol. III of the Smithsonian contributions to Knowledge, containing Ephemeris of the Planet Neptune, for 1852. Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Regent of the S. I. Notice of Public Libraries in the United States of America. Letters on the Cotton and Roads of Western India. Presented by Venayekrow Jugonathjee, Esq. Guide to Northern Archæology. Presented by the Earl of Ellesmere. THE Ordinary Monthly Meeting of the Bombay Geographical Society was held in its Rooms, Town Hall, on Thursday, the 11th of March 1852;—Members present, Captain Griffith Jenkins I. N., in the chair :-Commander W. C. Barker, I. N. ; John Smith, Esquire; Lieut. E. F. T. Fergusson, I. N.; Manackjee Cursetjee, Esquire; and Professor Patton, Secretary. The minutes of the last Meeting were read and approved of. The Revd. Dr Krapf, who was duly proposed and seconded as an Honorary Member of the Society, was balloted for, and unanimously elected. Captain Barker, in support of the motion 、for the election of Dr Krapf, spoke strongly in favor of his zeal, talent, and energy, which he had an opportunity of frequently witnessing in Abyssinia. The motion of Mr. Smith, for the purchase of the Blue Books for 1848 and 1851, published by the Admiralty was put and agreed to. Professor Patton read extracts of a letter, from Colonel Sykes to Dr. Buist, in reference to his paper on the correction of the barometer for tension of vapour, and entered into a lengthened explanation of some points which had been misunderstood. In the paper, he stated he had been chiefly anxious to show the incorrectness of the present mode of making this correction; but had not substituted any thing in its place, because he conceived that in the present state of our knowledge it was impossible to separate the effects of the two components of the atmospheric pressure the dry air and vapour. The barometer, he said, shows the total weight of a vertical column of the atmosphere, and it is impossible, without a knowledge of the mode in which vapour is distributed in the atmosphere, to determine its weight from its tension at the surface. The origin of this mistake is to be traced to Dalton's theory of gases of different kinds having no mutual action. Consequently, Vapour, which is considered as a gas, is unaffected by the dry air, and can only retain its tension at the surface, by the pressure of its own particles. But this theory having been proved untrue it will follow, as a necessary consequence, that the tension of vapour at the surface gives no indication of the total amount of vapour in the air, and cannot, therefore, be subtracted from the height of the barometer to give -the pressure of the dry air. It cannot be denied, however, that whatever vapour exists in the air does actually press on the barometer with its whole weight. To believe otherwise would be to suppose that vapour had a principle of lightness in itself, and was not acted on by gravity. This affords a complete refutation of the idea broached by Colonel Sykes in his paper on the Meteorology of India, published in the last volume of Philosophical Transactions. He maintains that vapour, mingling with the dry air, expands it and makes it lighter, and in this way he accounts for the fall of the barometer before rain by the greater quantity of vapour then present in the air. According to him some correction should be added to the height of the barometer, in order to obtain the pressure of dry air. In both these theories there is an element of truth which gives them plausibility; but both are in opposition to certain physical laws, and must be abandoned. The observations of the Wet and Dry bulb Thermometers, and of Daniell's Hygrometer ought not to be neglected, since they give nearly correct indications of one of the most important climatic agents,-the state of moisture at the place of observation. These opinions have been submitted with great humility, and only after long deliberation and experiment; but they deserve consideration although opposed to the views of Daniell, Sabine, Divy, Glaisher Dove, Sykes, and almost all the principal meteorologists of the present day, who have written on the subject. Truth, in scientific matters, cannot be decided by authority, and is only to be arrived at by a free discussion on every point liable to dispute. The question now treated of must be admitted to be in that doubtful state, and it is believed that good will result from a reconsideration of it, although the views here put forward should not be ultimately confirmed. Letters were read from Lieut. Fergusson, and Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co. PRESENTS TO THE LIBRARY. Bombay Magnetical and Meteorological Observations for 1848. Presented by Government. Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia, for the month of October. -Meteorological Abstract kept at the Surveyor General's office, Calcutta, for January, 1852The Meeting then adjourned. THE Ordinary monthly Meeting of the Bombay Geographical Society was held in their Rooms Town Hall, on Thursday the 8th April 1852 ;- Members present, Captain Griffith Jenkins I. N., in the chair:--John Smith Esquire; Jugonnath Sunkersett Esquire; John Ritchie Esquire, Venayakrow Jagonnathjee Esquire; John Macleod Esquire; and Professor Patton, Secretary. The Minutes of last Meeting were read and confirmed. Members Proposed.-Commodore Sir Henry J. Leeke Knt.; R. N., by Captain Jenkins; seconded by John Smith Esquire, and Henry Leeke Esquire, proposed by Captain Jenkins I. N., seconded by John Ritchie Esquire. The first business on the notice list was the motion by Dr. Buist, "That the Society order a further supply of such instruments as are not procurable for sale from dealers in Bombay." In reference to this the Secretary stated that in the absence of Dr. Buist it would be advisable to refer the motion to the Committee on Physical Research, who could examine into the details and ascertain the results of former orders of a similar kind. The Secretary then read two interesting papers, containing "An account of the almost unprecedented fall of heavy rain in Scinde during the monsoon of 1851," and "Account of a very severe Earthquake ou the frontiers of Upper Scinde," forwarded by Government with Mr. Secretary Lumsden's letters, No. 782 and 999 of 1852. He said that the Society is chiefly indebted to the labours of Mr. Frere, Commissioner in Scinde, for collecting the vast and very valuable amount of information now before them, and for which Mr. Frere deserves their warmest thanks. The Secretary was directed to convey to Mr. Frere their thanks for his valuable contributions. Letters Read.Nos. 782,908, and 999 of 1852, from J. G. Lumsden, Esq., Secretary to Government, General Department, and Letters from Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., Major W. E. Baker, and W. C. Coles, Esq., Secretary Medical and Physical Society, Bombay. PRESENTS TO THE LIBRARY. Presented by the Medical Board. Deaths in Bombay during the years 1848, 1849, and 1850. Index to the first ten volumes of the Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society Bombay. Presented by the Medical and Physical Society. PAPER 8. "Account of the almost unprecedented fall of heavy rain in Scinde, during the monsoon of 1851," and "Account of a very severe Earthquake on the frontiers of Upper Scinde," forwarded by the Commissioner to Government, and presented by them to the Society. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATION S. From the Surveyor General's office, Calcutta, for the month of February, 1852. From the Stations of Vizagapatam and Masulipatam, from December 1950 to October 1851. From the Station of Rajahmundry, from December 1850 to August 1951. After voting their best thanks to the several gentlemen for their very valuable contributions to the Library, the Meeting adjourned. THE Ordinary Monthly Meeting and the Annual General Meeting of the Bombay Geographical Society were held in their Rooms, Town Hall, on Thursday the 20th May, 1852. PRESENT. Norman Oliver, Esq., senior member present, in the chair; Lieutenant Fergusson; Captain Kempthorne; Commander Jenkins; Dr. Haines; Dhunjeebhoy Framjee, Esq.; Dr. Buist, and Professor Patton, Secretaries. The Minutes of last Monthly Meeting were first read and confirmed. MEMBERS ELECTED.-Commodore Sir H. J. Leeke, and Henry Leeke, Esquirs. CV MEMBER PROPOSED.-Dr. John Forbes Watson,by the Secretary, seconded by Dr. Haines. LETTERS READ.Nos. 1195 and 1447 of 1852, from J. G. Lumsden, Esquire, Secretary to Government, General Department. No. 962 from John Scott, Esquire, Secretary to the Medical Board, and a letter from Captain A. B. Kembali. The following Books &c., were laid on the table. 1. Manual of Physical Research for India. 2. Воок 5. By Dr. G. Buist.-Presented by Government. The Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, for January 1852, No. XIV. Vol. IV.-Presented by the Society. 3. The Journal of the Indian Archipelago, and Eastern Asia, for December 1851, and January 1852.-Presented by Government. 4. The Bombay Engineers' Report for the official year 1849-50.-Presented by ditto. 5. Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society, No. X.-Presented by the Medical Board. 6. The Geography of Hudson's Bay. By John Barrow, Esquire.-Presented by the Hakluyt Society. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. From the Surveyor General's Office, Calcutta, for March 1852. From the stations of Bangalore, Bellary, Calicut, Cannanore, Coimbatoor, Cochin, Chittoor, Cuddalore, Cuddapah, French Rocks, Guntoor, Hurryhur, Kamptee, Kurnool, Madura, Mangalore Mercara, Nellore, Palamcotta, Penang, Secunderabad, Saint Thomas's Mount, Tavoy, and Trichinopoly for the months of December 1851, and January and February 1852. From Sattara and the stations of Cuddalore and Cocanada, for January and February 1852. From the stations of Calicut, Cannanore, Cochin, Mangalore, and Palamcotta, for March 185 2. From Ahmedabad, Futtehgurh, and Kolapoor, for January, February, and March 1852. From the station of Salem, from January 1851 to February 1852. From Bagdad, from September 1851 to January 1852. Abstract of Mean Pressure, Temperature, &c., for the fourth quarter 1851, and for the whole year 1851, from four quarter observations made at Futtehgurh. State of the Thermometer in the shade at Nusseerabad, for January 1852. The business of the meeting was confined to mere matters of routine. ANNUAL MEETING. The business of the Monthly Meeting being concluded, that of the Annual Meeting was entered on. The minutes of last year's meeting having been read :— REPORT.-The Secretary stated that, according to custom, he would now proceed to lay a short account of the proceedings of the Society during the year before the meeting. The past twelvemonth had not been a very active or a very auspicious one, and an account of what had occurred would not occupy any great amount of their time. The number of members removed by death was unprecedentedly great: they had lost in this way their original founder Sir Charles Malcolm,-one of their Vice Presidents, Captain Hawkins,—and Captain Sanders and Messrs. Vaupell and Cormack, three of the most esteemed of their members. No member had in the course of the year returned permanently to England, and but one had resigned. On the other hand, three new members had been elected, restoring the balance of resident |