38 



Heights of some points of the Cotswold Hills, with some experi- 

 ments with the Aneroid Barometer. By W. Henry Hyett, 

 Esq., F.R.S. 



Read 27th September 1849. 



A few months ago, in a formal Report, an Inspector under the 

 Board of Health stated that " Cheltenham has been estimated to 

 stand 200 ft. above the level of the sea, and the height of the 

 Cotswold Hills above the same level is about 300 ft. :" — he meant 

 probably to say " above the level of Cheltenham ;" thus making 

 the absolute height of these hills 500 feet above the sea — still 

 an estimate rather wide of the mark when given under the nose 

 of Cleeve Cloud, which exceeds 1000. 



It is true the case required no accuracy, but such a degree of 

 maccuracy could scarcely have appeared had a more general 

 knowledge of the truth prevailed in this part of the country. 

 Indeed it has been for years matter of complaint that even the 

 relative heights of the several remarkable points of our Cotswolds 

 were unknown — Painswick, Birdlip, Leckhampton and Cleeve 

 Cloud each having their respective champions, but with no 

 authority to quote, nor umpire to determine between them. 



Having consulted some of the scientific Members of the Cots- 

 wold Club on the point without success, I ventured to suggest 

 that they at least should try to set it at rest. The coincidence of 

 the present Ordnance Survey for the improvement of the river 

 Severn, having their signal staffs actually standing on the very 

 eminences in question, offered an opportunity not to be lost of 

 having measurements made. 



I therefore proposed to our excellent President to get (as best 

 I could) a list of the heights of those hills from which we derive 

 our name, and which in the course of our excursions we so fre- 

 quently climb ; — a subject of peculiar interest therefore to our- 

 selves, and not without importance to all who study the geology, 

 botany, &c. of this range. Immediately on receiving his con- 

 currence I wrote to Capt. Yolland, R.E., who has the mapping 

 department of the Ordnance under his direction, and the com- 

 mand of the parties now executing the survey of the Severn. 

 Observing that the signal staffs of their present Trigonometrical 

 Survey afforded the easy means of taking the vertical as well as 

 the horizontal angles, and of acquiring all the information 

 which the public needed, I ventured to express a hope to that 

 officer that he would afford it. 



In reply he promised to communicate the information re- 



