REPORT OF THE COUNCIIi. XXVll 



by whomsoever it may be undertaken, no effort of mine will be wanting to 

 contribute to its success. 



" • I confess, however, that I do not at once perceive how the two countries 

 could profitably cooperate in the work ; but there is no use in discussing the 

 modus operandi till the Admiralty think proper to give me some direct orders 

 to consider and report upon the subject, which has not yet been done. 

 " ' I have the honour to be. Sir, 



" ' Your most obedient Servant, 

 " ' Colonel Sabine, H.A., " ' F. Beaufort, Hydrographer^ 



Woolwich.' 



" ' London, May 6, 1853. 



" 'My dear Sir, — I have this day received, and at once transmit to you 

 a copy of, the British Hydrographer's reply to my letter of November 10th, 

 1852, enclosing a copy of your letter to me on the subject of a joint survey 

 of the Gulf-stream by the United States and this country. You will see by 

 Sir Francis Beaufort's letter that he fully concurs with you in recognizing 

 the great importance to navigation of such a survey, and that no effort on his 

 part is likely to be wanting to contribute to its success, whensoever it shall 

 be undertaken. 



" ' You have probably seen by a discussion which took place in the House 

 of Lords, on Tuesday the 26th of April, that Lieut. Maury's proposition for 

 an extensive system of Hydrographical inquiry, to be carried out conjointly 

 by the ships of the two nations, has been favourably received by Her 

 Majesty's Government, and the measures required for British cooperation are 

 now under consideration. 



" 'The part which this country might take in a survey of the Gulf-stream 

 must necessarily be under the direction of the Hydrographer ; and conse- 

 quent on instructions received by him from the Admiralty. It is to be 

 inferred from Sir Francis Beaufort's reply that it does not consist with the 

 practice of his department to communicate to the Admiralty the fact that the 

 Director of the Coast Survey of the United States has expressed a desire to 

 undertake the survey of the Gulf-stream conjointly with Great Britain. 

 Under these circumstances the best suggestion which I am able to make to 

 you, in reply lo your question to whom your proposition should be made, is, 

 that you should take the same course which Lieut. Maury has done, viz. that 

 the proposition should proceed through your own Secretary of State, and the 

 American Minister in this country, to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for 

 Foreign Affairs, by whom it will be communicated to the proper executive 

 Department, and an official reply returned. 



" ' I think that I may safely and confidently assure you that any assistance 

 which the British Association for the Advancement of Science can give in 

 furtheranceof a proposition of so much scientific as well as maritime import- 

 ance, will be most readily given. 



" ' Believe me, most sincerely yours, 



" ' Edward Sabine, 

 " ' Dr. A. D. Bache.' " < President of the British Association' 



" 9. An application, as directed by the General Committee, has been made 

 to the Master-General and Board of Ordnance to supply instruments for 

 measuring the direction and amount of earthquake vibrations in the Ionian 

 Islands, and instructions have in consequence been issued for the construction 

 of the necessary instruments. 



" 10. With reference to the resolutions regarding the Agricultural Statistics 

 of Great Britain, the Committee appointed to carry out the wishes of the 



