'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎75] (91/496)

the disposal of the Society so far back as the 19th November,-no answer having
been received to the letters subsequently written to Government on the subject
Captain Montriou had stated that he did not consider Porebunder a suitable place
for tidal observations. The Secretary said that he regretted Captain Montriou
was not present, as he appeared, from his minute on one of the circulars, to have
been offended with a remark he ( the Secretary ) had made, to the effect “ that
Capt. Montriou had made two minutes on the circular suggesting that Mr Mayes
might be supplied with magnetic instruments, neither of them giving the least hint
that no such instruments as those asked for existed under his charge ; and that had
this been suspected, the Society would have been saved the trouble of writing,
and Government that of answering, his letter.” The Secretary stated that the
circular had been intended for the Special Committee, of which Captain Montriou
was a member, but that it had been sent to the General Committee by a misap
prehension of the purvoe : that in considering matters of so complex and intricate
a nature as this, it had always appeared to them best to speak out frankly, freely, and
without reserve. He had not the most remote idea of interfering with the views,
or hurting the feelings, of any one, and hoped Captain Montriou would accept this
explanation as sufficient.
A long conversation then took place on meteorological subjects generally, and
on those particularly connected with the subject of their researches. The Secre
tary was directed to lose no time in supplying instruments to those willing to use
them—applying to Government meanwhile for the use of such as were to be
found already in their stores. These would be withdrawn if so permitted, and re
turned to Government so soon as they were no longer required, or would be pur
chased by the Society, the amount being defrayed by Government, and falling
ultimately on the Admiralty’s Grant. The Secretary stated that as the season was
rapidly running on, it would be better to send the tide-gauges formerly spoken of
to Viziadroog and Kurrachee, as it was really impossible to say when the instru
ments promised them by Government might become available. A large and
varied series of pressure-curves, illustrating the admirable symmetry and regularity
of the daily atmospheric wave, was laid on the tables of the Society. Attention was
called to the very great care requisite in preparing observations of this sort for
the press, and tables already printed were shewn, where six or seven errors were
occasionally to be found in a single column of figures. The importance of avoid
ing all symbols when such could be dispensed with, was also adverted to, as the
trifling saving of space occasionally secured by introducing them was more than
counterbalanced by the additional expense and trouble in setting them up, and the
enoimous lisk of inaccuracy in printing off likely to be introduced where a spe*
cies of short-hand, wholly unintelligible to the compositors or corrector of the press,
was resorted to.
The Secretary stated that he had written to Smith, Elder and Co., for three
copies of the Guide to Scientific Research now preparing by Sir J. Herschel
for the use of the Royal Navy, but was informed that it would not appear for some
weeks to come. The preparation of the Manual for Observers in the Eastern
Seas, directed by the Society to be proceeded with, had been suspended until the
work of Sir J. Herschel should have been received. The following report was