316 report— 1865. 



present at the discussions in the Committee of Eecommendations, may be able 

 to throw some light on which of the two projects M. Moritz is himself most 

 desirous of pressing. I may at the same time remark that the Committee 

 appointed to aid in the observatory project can take no official cognizance of 

 the survey in the Caucasus. 



" My object in addressing this letter to you is to obtain either from your- 

 self, or through your intermediation from other Officers of the Association, or 

 from the President of the Section by whom the recommendation was brought 

 forward, any information which they can furnish which may be useful to Sir 

 C. Lyell in the communication he will have to make with the Eussian Govern- 

 ment. It is important to keep in view that, whilst we desire to give every 

 proper aid to Professor Moritz's wishes, we should have at the same time a clear 

 understanding of the recommendation we are making in all the rights in which 

 it may be viewed. Will you therefore kindly return me this letter, after you 

 have communicated its contents to any person who you think may throw light 

 on any of the points touched upon, and accompanied by any documents 

 referring to the recommendation which may be in the hands of the officers, 

 or which they may be able to procure ? I will then communicate with the 

 other members of the Committee. 



" Sincerely yours, 



" William Hopkins, Esq., '• Edward Sabine." 



General Secretary of the British Association." 



At the time when my letter reached Mr. Hopkins he was already suffering 

 from the illness which has since obliged him (to the general regret) to resign 

 the Secretaryship. My letter was, however, immediately sent to Mr. Galton, 

 associated with Mr. Hopkins in the duties of the Secretary's office, who most 

 readily and promptly undertook to communicate with Professor Moritz him- 

 self, who had returned to the continent ; and also to make my letter known 

 to Sir Charles Lyell, tho President of the Association, by whom any direct 

 application, either to the llussian Government or to our own, should such an 

 application to either Government be deemed expedient, would have to be 

 made. 



Mr. Galton' s letter to myself, of Feb. 27 (marked No. 2), states the result 

 of his communication with Professor Moritz, and was as follows : — 



No. 2. 



" 42 Rutland Gate, W., Feb. 27, 1865. 



" My dear General,— I have at length received a letter from Professor 

 Moritz, dated Feb. 5 (? old style), which I enclose. It is not satisfactory, for 

 it does not reply to all my questions ; nevertheless you may possibly find it 

 sufficient to afford a basis to some limited action. 



"1. Professor Kupffer is stated to approve of Professor Moritz's scheme, 

 and of the resolution of the British Association. 



" 2. The funds to carry the scheme into effect would be supplied, if at all, 

 by the Russian ('? Imperial) Government, through the Grand Duke Michael, 

 Lieut, of the Emperor in the Caucasus. His decision is final, and to him the 

 resolution of the British Association would be most properly addressed. 



" 3. Professor Moritz wishes to obtain a self-registering apparatus of the 

 Kew pattern, partly to afford comparative observations with those he proposes 

 to make (by means of portable instruments) at the chief geodetical stations 

 of the Caucasus survey. He also wants the self-registering instruments for 

 regular work at Tiflis, where he deplores the insufficiency of assistants capa- 

 ble of making two hourly observations. 



