222 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



In September of the following year the Navy Department was 

 reorganized and the Observatory was included in the new 

 Bureau of Navigation of which Admiral Charles H. Davis 

 became the head. It appears that the publication of the charts 

 and sailing directions was unfinished, and the question arose in 

 the Department whether it should be continued. This question 

 was, on the suggestion of Admiral Davis, referred to the recently- 

 organized Academy of Sciences. 22 



The Academy appears to have considered the question one 

 of special difficulty and importance, as is evidenced by the size 

 and character of the committee appointed to report on it. This 

 was a committee of twelve members, ten of whom were ap- 



"The correspondence, as given in the Report of the Academy for 1863, pp. 6, 7, is as 

 follows : 



"BUREAU OF NAVIGATION, NAVY DEPARTMENT, 



" Washington, May 21, 1863. 



"Sir: I have the honor to inform the department that the charts and sailing directions 

 published by the late superintendent of the Observatory, at the expense of the government, 

 are regarded by hydrographers and scientific men as being prolix and faulty, both in matter 

 and arrangement, to such an extent as to render the limited amount of original information 

 which they actually contain costly and inaccessible. 



" I am prepared to recommend the discontinuance of the publication of these charts and 

 sailing directions. But in order that this question of discontinuance may be decided with 

 deliberation, I have to request permission to refer it to the National Academy of Sciences, 

 for investigation, and report to this department. 



" I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



" CHARLES H. DAVIS, 



" Chief of the Bureau. 

 " HON. GIDEON WELLES, 



" Secretary of the Navy." 



"BUREAU OF NAVIGATION, NAVY DEPARTMENT, 



" Washington, May 23, 1863. 



"Sir: I transmit herewith a copy of a letter addressed by me to the Hon. Secretary of 

 the Navy, on the subject of discontinuing the publication, in the present form, of the ' Wind 

 and Current Charts,' and ' Sailing Directions,' accompanying them ; and now, with the 

 approval of the department, I have the honor to refer the same subject to the National 

 Academy of Sciences, for investigation and report, requesting that, on account of the 

 expense and the public interest, it may receive early attention. 



" Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



" CHARLES H. DAVIS, 



" Chief of the Bureau. 

 " PROFESSOR A. D. BACHE, 



" President National Academy of Sciences." 



