'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎24] (39/496)

XXIV
“ Report.— The Report of the Sub-Committee appointed to report on the best
mode of carrying out the plan now experimentally approved of by Government
and the expense which is likely to devolve on the Society.
“ I.—The Committee resolved—That the Society ought not to encumber
itself with any financial arrangements, or be called on to disburse money from its
funds, on account of any part of the present scheme save that referring to the
publication of the observations in its Transactions.
“ IL—That the Committee recommend that each observatory be supplied
with the following instruments—these to be of the best quality :—
1 Self-Registering Tide-Gauge.
1 Barometer.
1 Pair Self-Registering, and
1 Common, Thermometers.
1 Anemometer.
1 Rain-Gauge.
A Sextant, an Artificial Horizon, and a Pocket Chronometer, would be extremely
serviceable. These could be procured from the stores of Government.
“ III.—Aden Tidal Observations. The Committee recommend that both the
Tide-Gauges at Aden should be placed under charge of Mr. Moyes, and worked
uniformly; and that as it is important that the observations be reduced and pre
sented to the public in the form most available for the use of scientific men, it be
recommended to the Government to cause all the observations from all the sta
tions to be transmitted to the Observatory, and forwarded from thence in a reduced
form fit for publication to the Society.”
A long discussion on the various subjects embraced in the report then ensued,
from which it appeared that the Society were not disposed to bestow the sum of
Rs. 3000, which would exhaust the entire balance in its hands, on the publication
of this single scheme of research. It was explained that when the proposal was first
made, the archives of the Society were almost emptied of papers ; that they had re
printed one volume of their transactions, and passed another in an expensive form
through the press, and had not in reality publishable matter enough at their dispo
sal to exhaust their funds. Matters since then had changed, and they were at pre
sent so well supplied that it was difficult for them to overtake with sufficient celeri
ty the publication of the papers at their disposal—It was suggested by Major Hol
land, that, to meet the want of funds, the points of observations should for the pre
sent be restricted to four or five, including those already in existence.—Dr. Buist
proposed that, as the paper for the tracing of the Tide-Gauges cost nearly a half of
the whole sum named in the estimate, instead of the 300, fifty copies of them should
be thrown off:this would at once reduce the estimate by about Rs. 1500. These pa
pers were valuable as references merely, and such a number should only be printed
as sufficed for some dozen or two of the members of the Society, and the learned men
or bodies of men, who might desire to consult them.—The Hon’ble Mr Reid said
that he did not see why the Society should be saddled with the expense of publica
tion at all: if Government were to supply agents, observatories, and instruments,