From these it will be seen that the barometer north of the line is invariably highest near the winter, and lowest near the summer, solstice,—and this without any reference whatever to the occurrence of the wet season or fall of rain at all: it holds equally at Bombay when our rains are at their height as at Madras in the middle of the dry season; at Aden and Kurrachee, almost rainless stations, as at Calcutta or Lucknow. As a general rule, the annual range encreases, and the amount of daily tide decreases, as we recede from the equator; Aden and Toronto affording the most notable exceptions to this. At Trevandrum and Bombay, in Western India, the daily range, as well as the mean height of the mercury, is least in June. At Kurrachee, the range seems nearly uniform throughout the year: at Madras, Aden, Lucknow, and Futtyghur, the range is greatest when the mercurial column is lowest, so we have something besides latitude and longitude to deal with, though we cannot tell what it is. The accuracy of all the observations here discussed may be fully depended on: alas! that we should have so few on which reliance can be placed.

On receiving a collection of Mr. Pyle's observations through Dr. Spilsbury in May last, they seemed so interesting that they were forwarded immediately to Colonel Sykes, who laid them before the British Association at Ipswich, as having an important bearing on some of the doctrines on hygrometry.

Some very valuable barometric observations, made by Mr. Pyle, at Fyttyghur, and by Captain Barker, all the way from Bombay to Suez Roads and back, were exhibited. Captain Barker gave all the four turning-points, but had made his morning barostice at 9 in place of 10 o'clock his afternoon at 3 in place of 4; so that a rigid comparison with other observations could not be made. The Futtyghur observations bore all the characteristics of perfect truthfulness. Mean of 23 days in Suez Roads, from 20th September to 14th October, 1851, corrected for temperature. Latitude, 29° 57'. Longitude, 32° 29'. 3 p. m. 29.93. +.05.

3 a. m.
29.95.

9 a. m.

Range, +. 07.

30. 02. -.09.

9 p. m.
29.98.

These were taken by one of the marine barometers first sent out by Mr. Adie, which, though in other respects a very beautiful instrument, did not read lower than hundredths of an inch. The range at Suez would appear to be little over half that at Futtyghur only two degrees further south; but then, when we find the mean altitude of the mercury in close accordance with that of the Colaba Observatory, our faith in the whole concern was shaken by finding the range at Aden, as well as at Bombay, little more than half what we know it actually to be from the registers of the observations at these stations respectively. Sir Henry Lawrence had recently expressed anxiety to assist in such researches, and it was hoped that through this means perfectly accurate observations might speedily be had from Lahore, Mooltan, and Peshawur. The observations expected from Mr. George, at Muscat and Zanzibar, had not yet been received,a circumstance the more to be regretted inasmuch as the extraordinary anomalies at St. Helena made it most desirable to have as many observations as nearly under the line as possible. St. Helena is in Lat. 5° 40′ 31′′ S., their midsummer being our midwinter. law holds, and the barometer is lowest in December and highest in June.

ST. HELENA.
June and December.

Here the great

1

C.

Here it will be seen that both the daily and yearly ranges decrease to a mere fraction of those at corresponding parallels of northern latitude. At Lat. 30° N. and Lat. 31° 2 N., at an alti. tude of 1800 feet, with a barometer at 15 inches, Lieut. Strachey found the tides as regular as they are in the plains of Hindoostan-.057 to .043-say .050- if we may assume the tide throughout the year to be about one-three-hundredth part of the length of the mercurial column, say at Bom. bay, which it nearly is, we should have the range at this high latitude reduced to the level of the sea above a tenth of an inch, or greater than it is in August in any of the stations enumerated. By the time we reach Toronto, US, Lat. 43°, all these laws have either broken down, or become so masked by constant irregularities, that they are only discovered in masses of means-as it is equally at Hobart Town Lat. 42 S., though in these as in all cases, indeed, it is traceable through a sufficiency of mean observations. In a matter of so much interest and mystery, the great thing is to get a sufficiency of observations to ascertain the rule followed by the facts-these furnishing the only means of obtaining an explanation of the cause. It is sad to think that so much time, money, and labour, should be thrown away in pursuing the system usually adopted by the local governments of India, where everything must be done in accordance with form, and which, if form be attended to, nothing more is looked for. There are at present a vast number of observations being made all over the country under the authority of Government : from the returns occasionally received by the Society there cannot be the slightest doubt that in ninetenths of cases the time and money so employed is thrown away; there are no means of suffi. ciently instructing or superintending the observers, excepting through the direct instrumentality of meteorologists-no books or manuals of instruction will, in India at all events, suffice. The number of meteorologists amongst us is marvellously small, and none of them are ever consulted. Dr. Buist laid before the meeting a paper on the volcanoes and volcanic regions betwixt the eastern shore of the Bay of Bengal and Gibbel. Tier in the Red Sea, betwixt the parallels of 10° and 26° N. It will be found amongst the papers.

THE Ordinary Monthly Meeting of the Geographical Society took place in their rooms, on
Thursday, the 13th November,-Captain Estridge in the Chair.

Present,-Captain Griffith Jenkins, I. N.; Manockjee Cursetjee, Esq; Dr. G. Buist, and
Professor Patton, Secretaries.

The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed.

The maps, charts, and reports, forwarded by Lieutenant Maury, from the National Observatory, Washington, were laid on the table, and greatly admired by the members present,

In referring to the mode of determining submarine currents still practised, as described in the Washington Report-that of lowering a heavy kettle or a gigantic log to the depth required, and then making it fast to a float on the surface,-Dr Buist described his improved current measuring instrument, which promised to fulfil the ends required in a manner more worthy of the present state of science. It had, with the instrument described in the last year's number of the Transactions, been found so difficult to exclude the sea water from the compass at very greɛ t depths, that it was considered more expedient to admit it at once, protecting the needle, if necessary, from rust by varnish or electrotype gilding this had been found to answer perfectly, and enabled the instrument to be very greatly lightened and simplified, the original principle of construction being retained. The velocity of the current was determined by a little fly, like that

of a patent log or window ventilator, and the instruments, which had been carefully tried at moderate depths, and seemed to answer to perfection, could in this fashion be made up for betwixt Rs. 25 and Rs. 30; a minute description of it, with a drawing, will appear in next number of the Transactions. Parties desiring o be provided, can be so through the Secretary

to the Society.

The following is a list of the letters, &c., laid on the table of the Society:

LETTERS.

From J. G. Lumsden, Esquire, Secretary to Government, Marine Department, No. 963, dated 11th October, acknowledging the receipt of the Society's letter No. 50, of 22nd September, and in reply stating that the Right Hon'ble the Governor in Council approves of the arrangements therein proposed in reference to the establishment of self-registering wind and rain gauges at Poona and Nuggur. Also requesting to communicate direct with Captains Studdert and Gaisford on the subject.

From J. G. Lumsden, Esquire, Secretary to Government, Marine Department, No. 1010, dated 23rd October, stating that the Right Hon'ble the Governor in Council considers it will be preferable for the Geographical Society to forward their bills for printing the Meteorological Observations to be disbursed after the work is completed.

From H. B. E. Frere, Esq., Commissioner in Scinde, No. 2198, dated 18th October, enclosing copies of a report and rules agreed on at a meeting of subscribers to a project for establishing a public general library at Kurrachee. Also requesting a copy of the Society's Transactions for the use of that library, and any other support that the Society may be, from time to time, able to afford them in their enterprise.

From C. Meldrum, Esquire, Royal College, Mauritius, dated 22nd September, transmitting an order on Messrs. Barnett, Hoares, and Co., for £14, on account of instruments purchased by him from the Society.

From J. S. Law, Esquire, Collector of Dharwar, dated 18th October, informing of his having remitted through the Civil Pay Office, Rs. 37, due by him on account of instruments.

From Lieut. Fergusson, I. N., Superintendent of the Observatory at Colaba, dated 25th Oc. tober, forwarding a copy of the Washington Astronomical Observations of 1846, received from the Royal Society for presentation to the Bombay Geographical Society.

From John Connor, Esquire, Secretary to the Chamber of Commerce, dated 27th October, forwarding for presentation to the Geographical Society a copy of their last year's report.

From Lieut. Fergusson, I. N., Superintendent of the Observatory at Colaba, dated 14th November, acknowledging the receipt of the Secretary's letter No. 67, with 3 sets of Lieut. Maury's Wind and Current charts for Captain Montriou, and requesting to be informed whether any books accompanied them.

From Captain J. Willoughby, dated Paunch-Gunny, 4th November, informing of his having remitted this month through the Military Pay Office Rs. 42 for a bound set of the Society's

Transactions,

From Dr. C. Collier, Neemuch, dated 6th November, informing of his intention to remit Rs. 12 through the Military Pay Office on the 1st December.

CHARTS.

Wind and Current Charts of the North and South Atlantic Ocean, 18 sheets, By Lieutenant

M. F. Maury, Superintendent of the National Observatory at Washington. Presented by the author.

BOOKS.

1. Washington's Astronomical Observations of 1846. Presented by the Royal Society of London.

2. Report of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce for the year 1850-51. Presented by the Chamber.

3. The Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia, No. 8, for the month of August. 1851. Presented by Government.

4.

The Second General Report of the Dekhan Vernacular Translation Society from the 13th February, 1950, to the 31st July, 1851. Presented by the Society.

5.

Notice to Mariners, by Lieutenant M. F. Maury, U. S. N., approved by the Hon'ble William B. Preston, Secretary of the Navy. Presented by the author.

6. Paper on the Gulf Stream and Currents of the Sea. By M. F. Maury, Lieutenant, U. S. N.

7. On the probable relation between magnetism and the circulation of the atmosphere,

From Calcutta and Belgaum, for the months of August and September, 1851.
From the Ports of Cuddalore and Coconada, for the month of August, 1851.

From Sattara for the month of September, 1851.

From Ahmedabad, Rajcote, Bhooj, Alibaugh, Dharwar, Broach, and Civil Hospital Kolapoor, for the month of July, August, and September, 1851.

From stations of Cuddalore, Guntoor, Chittoor, Ponany, Madura, Cuddapah, Cochin, Kamptee, Coimbatoor, Secunderabad, Kurnool, Trichinopoly, Nellore, Palamcotta, Bellary, and Saint Thomas's Mount, for August, 1851.

Supplementary remarks on the Meteorology of Scinde during the past year, by Dr. J. Don. Meteorological Register kept at the Vizagapatam Observatory for the months of July, August, and September, 1851. By G. V. Juggarow, Esq., Presented by the author.

ADEN DIP OBSERVATIONS.

The following observations for inclination were taken with a dipping circle by Robinson, six inches in diameter, It is supported on three screw feet, by which an azimuth circle, divided to single degrees, is levelled. This again is read off by pointers easily read to one-tenth of a degree, and the pointers are at the extremities of arms fixed to a brass pillar that can be moved in azimuth and support. The vertical or dip circle which supports the agate planes on which the axle of the needle revolves, is divided into fifteen minutes. The instrument is provided with four new needles from Robinson, the maker, to whom it was in 1849 sent for repairs, and it is in first rate order. Each determination is taken in the usual way with sixteen readings after the needle has become at rest.

The observations are entered as follow:

(In column A.) The observations are taken with north pole at the marked end A., and with the face of the needle on the same side as the face of the dip circle, and with the face of the dip circle towards the E.

(In column A') The same, but with the face of the dip circle towards the West.

(In column A') With the north pole at which is the same end, but with the face of the needle on the contrary side to the face of the dip circle towards the East.

(In column A"") The same but with the dip circle towards the West.

And the other columns denote similar relative position of the needle when the north pole is at the marked end B.

When there are two sets of observations on the same date, the first is taken at 8 A. M., and the last at 4 P. M; but when there is only one set it is taken at 8 A. M.

4-15

112235667788

3

4

4

1

3

4

4

4-45 3.23 507 3-15
5.00 4.00 5.00 3:45
5.23 4.00 5.45 3.15
5.30 400 5.15 4.00
5.30 4.15 5 45
5.15 2.37 4.00 2.37
5.30 4.30 5.00 4.15
5.15 4.00 5.07 4.15
5-07 4:30 5.37 5.15
5.50 4.30 5.30 4.00
4.50 3.30 4.35 3-15
5-15 4.00 5.23 4.00
5-15 4-30 6 00 3.45
7.00 6.15 7.30 6.05
8.00 7.05 8.30 7.05
5.48 3.00 4.52 3.15
5.35 3.50 5.00 3.37
6.15 3.30 5.22 4.15
5.22 4.00 5.00 4.45
5.35 4.45 5.45 3.37
5.15 430 4.00 5.00
7.15 6.50 8.40 6.20

8-07 6.37 8.10 8.07

5.23 3.37 5.00 3-15
4-15 330 5.00 3.00
5.22 4.30 5.45 3.52
4.50 3.45 4.45 5.00
5.30 4.00 5.52 4:30
5.23 407 5.00 4.53

4.32-45
4:36 00

0 / O/
5.15 3.45 5.00 3.50
5.23 4:00 4:45 4:30
2.30 1.40 2.00 0.45 4-22:30
2.37 0.40 2.37 0.45 4.48.52
5.15 4.15 5:30 3.40 4.14.22
6-05 4:30 5.40 5.15 4:30.00
4.01 4.00 4 37 3.45

4-27-45

4:33 15
4.38.22

5.00 3.05 5.15 4:00
1.45 1 37 3.00 1.00
1.45 1.37 3.00 1.00 4.38.22
1.45 0.30 2:30 1.00 4.36-30
4.45 4:00 5:30 4.00 4.17.45
5:45 4:30 5.30 4.30

"O

4:35:37
5.15 3.15 4:45 4.00 4.22.30
6.00 4.07 5:07 3.50 4.33 22
5.15 4 47 4:45 4:00 4:41.30
5.30 3.45 5.15 3.15 4-41-15
6.15 4:45 5.35 4.45 4.38.37 o /
5.30 3.45 4:30 4:00 4:37.30 4.33.06 4.36.15
6.27 4.00 5.45 3.30 4:47.22
4-45 3.50 5 00 3.15 4.39.52
4.35 3.50 4.15 3.39 4:30.00
0·15 4.00 5.30 4.30 4.33.07
5.00 4.00 5.45 3.45 4.35.30
4-15 4-15 5.00 3.37 4.38.22
2.07 2.20 0.40 0.50 4.38.22
7.07 1.15 2.00 0.30 4.26-30
5.37 4.22 5:37 3.15 4.28.15
645 4:00 4:45 4-07 4-42-22
5.15 3.07 4.52 4.00 4.34.30
5:20 4:00 4:37 4.15 4 39-52
4:37 3:45 5.07 3:45 4-37-00
5.20 4.20 5.45 4.00 4-46-00
2 07 1.30 2:30 1.00 4 31-30
1.55 1.37 1.55 1.07 4-41.52
5.45 4:00 5:07 3.50 4.29-37
5.37 5.00 5.30 4.00 4.29.00
4.45 4.20 507 3.45 4-40-45
5.15 3:00 5:07 4.07 4.28.27
5.00 3.23 5.00 3 15 4-33-45
5.52 4.22 5.00 3.52 4-48-37

Monthly Means