1865.] and on the Meteorological Department. 531 



using the compass-card. The sight-vane and graduated circle to be at- 

 tached to the bowl. 



" 4. To be provided with one spare card, two spare caps, and four spare 

 pivots. 



" 5. The caps to be fitted with rubies instead of agates. The pivots 

 to be of steel hardened and tempered to a dark straw-colour." 



Letter No. 1, from the President to Mr. Farrer, transmitting 

 Mem o randum. 



"Burlington House, Nov. 2, 1865. 



" SIE, I have now laid before the Council of the Koyal Society your 

 letter of the 25th of July, referring to the adjustment of the compasses 

 of iron ships, and a copy of my letter of the 28th of August, acknow- 

 ledging its receipt and adverting to the inquiry you had made as to the 

 preparation of a ' Manual ' on the subject, together with your subsequent 

 letter of October 23rd, having reference to the same inquiry. 



" The President and Council are much disappointed by learning that the 

 Board of Trade are not prepared to give effect to the recommendation 

 that the system which has been found to work so successfully in the 

 Royal Navy, of combining official and competent superintendence with a 

 proper code of instruction, should be extended to the Mercantile Marine. 

 They consider such superintendence to be essential, not only to the general 

 introduction of a good and efficient mode of compass-correction into the 

 Mercantile Marine, but even to the discharge of the duties having respect 

 to the adjustment of the compasses of sea-going passenger- steamers with 

 which the Board of Trade is already charged by the Legislature. 



" In the Memorandum accompanying my letter of the 15th of May, it 

 was stated that many recent losses of iron steamers have taken place in 

 which it is probable that compass -errors have occasioned the loss. The 

 President and Council think it right to call the attention of the Board of 

 Trade to the serious responsibility they incur in cases of loss of life and 

 property arising from the want of a proper system of compass-adjustment, 

 by declining to take the course which is pointed out by the concurrent 

 opinion of all competent advisers, as not only the best, but the only method 

 of securing the introduction of such a system. They cannot but look 

 forward to a time when the necessity of a proper supervision will be forced 

 on the executive by public feeling, excited by some disastrous loss of human 

 life traceable to the want of such superintendence. The question is one 

 which they feel to be of such vital importance, that they desire to submit 

 to the consideration of the Board of Trade the accompanying Memorandum, 

 replying in some detail to passages in your letter of July 25th, and which 

 makes it unnecessary to me to dwell further on the subject. 

 " I have the honour to be, 



" Your obedient Servant, 



" EDWARD SABIXE, 

 " President of the lloyal Society" 



