494 ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 



the collection and discussion of Meteorological Observations made 

 fit sea. The practical results of a similar undertaking in the 

 United States are now well known. The charts and sailing 

 directions, published by Lieutenant Maury, have enabled navi- 

 gators to shorten their passages, in many cases by one-fourth of 

 the time, and in some even to a greater extent. The commercial 

 importance of such results could not fail to attract general 

 attention ; and accordingly, when the United States Government 

 invited other maritime nations to co-operate in the undertak- 

 ing, the invitation was cordially accepted. A conference was held 

 at Brussels in 1853, at which meteorologists deputed by those 

 Powers attended; and a Eeport was made, recommending the 

 course to be pursued in a general system of marine meteorological 

 observations. This Report was laid before the British Parliament 

 soon after, and a sum of money was voted for the necessary ex- 

 penditure. The British Association undertook to supply verified 

 instruments, by means of its Observatory at Kew ; and the Eoyal 

 Society, in consultation with the most eminent meteorologists of 

 Europe and America, addressed an able Eeport to the Board of 

 Trade, in which the objects to be attended to, so as to render the 

 system of observation most available for Science, were clearly set 

 forth. With this co-operation on the part of the two leading 

 Scientific Societies, the establishment was soon organized. It was 

 placed under the direction of a distinguished naval officer, Admiral 

 Fitz-Eoy : and in the beginning of 1855 it was in operation. 

 Agents were established at the principal ports for the supply of 

 instruments, books, and instructions ; and there are now more 

 than 200 British ships so furnished, whose officers have under- 

 taken to make and record the required observations, and to 

 transmit them from time to time to the Department. At the 

 present time 700 months of logs have been received, from nearly 

 100 merchant ships, and are in process of tabulation. 



Holland is taking similar steps ; and the Meteorological Insti- 

 tute of that country, under the direction of M. Buys Bellot, has 

 already published three volumes of nautical information, obtained 

 from Dutch vessels in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. 



For the purposes of Meteorological Science this system cannot 

 be considered as complete, until observations on land are included. 

 Most of the greater atmospheric changes are due to the distribu- 

 tion of land and water, and to the different effects of the Sun's rays 



