1 REPORT 1872. 



" To the H'lglit Honourable the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, 

 The Memorial of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. 



" Humbly Sheweth, 



" 1. That in the year 1867 the British Association appointed a Com- 

 mittee 'for the purpose of promoting the extension, improvement, and 

 harmonic analysis of tidal observations.' From that time until the present, 

 under Committees reappointed from year to year, the proposed work has been 

 carried on. The mode of procedure adopted, and the results obtained up 

 to the mouth of August 1871, are fully stated in the accompanying series of 

 printed reports. 



" 2. The primary object of the investigation is the advance of tidal science ; 

 but the Committee have uniformly kept in view the practical application 

 of their results to Physical Geography, Meteorology, Coast and Harbour 

 Engineering, and ITavigation, 



" 3. A large mass of valuable observations recorded by self- registering 

 tide-gauges during the last twenty years having been found available, the 

 Committee have applied themselves in the first place to the reduction of 

 these observations, and have deferred the object of promoting observations 

 in other localities until the observations already made have been utilized to 

 the utmost. 



" 4. The work thus undertaken has proved, as was anticipated, most 

 laborious. The calculations have been performed, under the superintend- 

 ence of Sir William Thomson, by skilled calculators recommended by the 

 Nautical Almanac Office. The funds required to pay the calculators, and fo 

 print and prepare Tables, forms for calciilation, &c., to the amount of =£600, 

 have been granted by the British Association in four successive annual 

 allowances of .£100 each, and a sum of .£200 voted at the last Meeting. 

 The last grant barely sufficed for the work actually in hand, and to secure 

 the continuance of the investigation additional funds are necessary. The 

 Council of the British Association therefore directed the Tidal Committee to 

 make an application to the Government for assistance, the amount at present 

 asked for being limited to .£150. 



" 5. It seemed to the Council that after the Association had done so much 

 in the way of actual expenditure of time by the Members of its Committee, 

 and had given such a large contribution from its very limited funds, enough 

 had been done to show the object to be one for which assistance may 

 reasonabljr be expected from Government. On representations made by 

 Colonel Walker, Director of the Trigonometrical Survey of India, the Indian 

 Government has already granted the means of defraying the expense of 

 making Tidal Observations in India, and applying to them the methods of 

 reduction devised by the Committee of the British Association. The Council 

 hope, therefore, that the Government of this country may be similarly dis- 

 posed to assist in a matter of national importance. 



(Signed) " AVilliam THOirso:N-, 



President of the British Association." 



" May 21, 1872." 



The Council regret to state that the application was rejected upon the 

 grounds explained in the following letter : — 



" TreaBui'v Cbambers, "* 



3rcl June, 1872. 



" SiE, — The Chancellor of the Exchequer has referred to tlie Lords Com- 

 missioners of Her Majesty's Treasury the Memorial of the British Association 



