IX 



Mr. Smith had also sent a Eeport which had recently been 

 issued by the Commission appointed to consider the Meteorological 

 Department of the Board of Trade. The Report was interesting, 

 as the Commissioners had taken into consideration the somewhat 

 popular subject of Storm Signals, and of prognostications as to 

 probable changes in weather. The Commission had come to the 

 decision that the Storm Signals were very valuable, and that they 

 should be preserved, and that the Department should be more 

 efficiently worked in relation to them ; but, with regard to ordinary 

 Weather Prophecies, the number of incorrect prophecies was so 

 great that it was advised not to attempt any such predictions. 

 Dr. Barham had no doubt the country was very much indebted 

 to Admiral Fitzroy, for having started such a scheme ; but it could 

 be determined only by experience how far particular branches of 

 it were susceptible of being applied to really useful purposes. 



Dr. Barham next directed attention to some interesting 

 Drawings by Mr. Blight, illustrative of a discovery which that 

 gentleman had recently made in this County — the first discovery 

 of the kind in Cornwall — of Eock Markings similar to those which, 

 within the last few years, had been found in Scotland, in the 

 North of England, in Ireland, and the Isle of Man ; and respecting 

 which, communications had been received from Su" James Simpson, 

 and from the Secretary of the Archaeological Society of Ireland. 

 Wood Cuts, representative of some of these Markings, had already 

 been published in the Journal * ; and it might be remarked that 

 in all cases, these markings had been found in connection with 

 other antiquarian remains. — Mr. Blight, who was in South Wales 

 making sketches for the Cambrian Archaeological Society, had been 

 unable to furnish a Paper on the subject ; but he had written as 

 follows : — ^ 



" Penzance, Mat 16, 1866. 

 My dear Sir, 



Herewith I have the pleasure to send you a drawing of the Eock- 

 Markings at Sancreed. They occur on a rock beside an ancient roadway 

 leading to a group of strongly fortified Hut Circles on the tenement of Gold- 

 herring, part of the Tregonelaris estate, and within about a hundred yards of 

 the site of a walled grave, which, on being opened some years ago, was found 

 to contain an urn. I have no doubt that these marks are the genuine Cup- 

 CarAdngs, such as have been found elsewhere, especially in the North of 

 England, and have been described by Sir J. Simpson, Dr, CoUingwood Bruce, 

 and others. There are five cups, varying from two to three inches in 

 diameter, and with a curved linear incision over them. The rock is a fine- 

 grained granite. My drawing is half the actual size." 



* See Journal, No. IV. 



