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plichtmatig de volgende zinsneden uit die voorrede aan te 

 halen : 



The principle upon which the Batavia Observatory was to be 

 organized, being still a matter of discussion for Government 

 when I published my first volume of observations, I thougt it 

 better then, not to enter into aiiy details concerning it. Now, 

 however, the question having been decided, and the Obser- 

 vatory having been built, I feel at liberty to say a few words 

 about its history. At the same time I wish to fulfil now a 

 duty which I have been obliged to defer too long, the duty 

 of expressing my most hearty thanks to all those who have 

 assisted in any way in the foundation of the Batavia Obser- 

 vatory; — to the Royal Academy of Sciences of Amsterdam, 

 who so effectually supported von Humbolüt's suggestion; — 

 to Professor Büys Ballot, the Director of the Royal Dutch 

 Meteorological Institute of Utrecht, who first made a detailed 

 plan to give execution to it ; — to the Kew Committee and 

 to the Staff of the Kew Observatory, at which Institution 

 I found ample opportunity for studying terrestrial mag- 

 uetism and meteorology; — but above all to General Sir 

 Eduard Sabine, who did all he could to promote my object, 

 and who placed with the utmost kindness his great experience 

 in magnetical research at my disposal. 



On account of the great delay, which by unforeseen cir- 

 cumstances the building of the Batavia Observatory experien- 

 ced, I have been unable to fulfil entirely the expectations 

 of those who so kindly lent me their assistance when I was 

 preparing for my undertaking. But the principal object, 

 for which I went to India, has been attained. The work 

 done at the temporary observatory, however little it may 

 be, has, I flatter myself, afforded ample proof for the 

 great services, which magnetical aud meteorological obser- 

 vations in this country may render to Science, and for 

 the future, the study of terrestrial magnetism and meteoro- 

 logy in the East Indian Archipelago has been founded on 

 a solid basis by the erection of a Central Observatory at Bata^ 



