102 Lt.-Col. J. Waterhouse — On the Barisdl Guns. [March, 



be circulated to the several meteorological stations where the " Barisal 

 Guns " are likely to be heard, and to all residents in such localities who 

 may be expected to assist in the investigation. 



If you will refer to one of my articles on " Jessore " published in 

 the Calcutta Review, Vol. LXIII, p. 7, you will find that Mr. H. F. 

 Blanford of the Meteorological Department, the then Secretary of the 

 Society, forwarded to me such forms for circulation, but though some of 

 my friends were good enough to promise to assist in the enquiry by 

 recording their observations, yet not a single return was sent to me. The 

 Society, however, acting directly with public and private persons, if it 

 resolves to do so, is likely to meet with success. 



I may add that 1 shall be very glad to assist in any way in investi- 

 gating the matter if my aid is at all necessary. 



Yours faithfully, 



H. J. Rainet. 



In continuation the President said that the Society were much 

 indebted to Babu Gaurdas By sack for having again brought this in- 

 teresting subject before their notice, and the paper is particularly 

 interesting because it gives additional names of places where these 

 sounds have been heard. It was much to be regretted that former 

 efPorts of the Society to elucidate the origin of these curious sounds 

 had been unsuccessful, and that during the 18 years that had elapsed 

 since the subject was discussed at the Society's meetings no new facts 

 had been brought forward regarding them. In the absence of more 

 definite information than already existed, it was difficult to see in what 

 direction further enquiries could usefully be prosecuted. 



As it might be interesting to the meeting he had drawn up a short 

 memorandum of the facts already recorded regarding these mysterious 

 sounds. 



First as to the sounds themselves : — Most observers agree that 

 they resemble the reports of guns fired or explosions at a distance. 

 Sometimes the sound is dull, at others loud enough to wake a person 

 from sleep. They are heard sometimes singly, sometimes in rapid 

 succession or at intervals, occasionally lasting for several hours. 



In his paper on the " Antiquities of Bagirhat " (Journ. As. Soc. 

 Beng. 1867), Babu Gaurdas Bysack describes it as a dull roaring sound, 

 as of the booming of distant cannonade, which is said to be fired by aerial 

 hands in honour of Khanja Ali, or Khan Jahan, who was tehsildar of 

 Baghirhat some 400 years ago. 



Mr. Pellew says the noise exactly resembles the sound of surf as 

 heard by him at Puri, when, on account of the cessation of the S. W. 



