lviH PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



on the 14th of July 1838, signed by His Royal Highness the Duke 

 of Sussex, as President of the Royal Society, and many of the most 

 illustrious members of that and other Societies, urging that the 

 Government in India might be directed to forward in every possible 

 way his views ; and no one expressed himself with more characteristic 

 and generous warmth in his favour than Sir Roderick Murchison. 

 About this time Major Jervis had been appointed Surveyor- General 

 of India in succession to the present Colonel Everest ; but, finding 

 after his return to India that that officer had no intention to retire 

 so soon, he gave up his hopes of being ever able to carry out his 

 favourite project, and retired, as has been stated, from the service, 

 in January 1842. 



"Whilst in India his discovery, and application to useful purposes, 

 of lithographic stone, and his examination and description of the 

 slate- quarries he had first discovered in the Western Ghats, and his 

 report to Lord Clare and the Governor-General of India on the 

 geological structure of that portion of "Western India which lies be- 

 tween the 15th and 19th degrees of north latitude, were all important 

 scientific services ; and on his return home the activity of his mind 

 did not relax, and he spent his time in educating his own family, 

 seeking to find some congenial employment that might keep his 

 faculties in fall exercise. 



In 1843 he began to set up with his private funds a lithographic 

 press, for the purpose of promoting the education of the natives of 

 India, whom he loved to his dying hour, and wished to see enlight- 

 ened. The productions of his press were all of a useful character ; 

 and the first thing he did was to prepare forms for the E.I.C. for the 

 collection of revenues, the management of the marine engines of 

 the navy, and a variety of other forms, which he furnished, by the 

 highly scientific processes he adopted, at a very moderate charge. 

 Among the various papers which Major Jervis proposed to the 

 Indian Government is one which is of great importance, as it urged 

 the adoption of properly lithographed post-office-orders in India. 

 In writing to Lord Hardinge, March 24, 1845, Major Jervis says : 

 " A Government post-office-order and letter of advice, in the opinion 

 of General Morrison, formerly in the Supreme Council, several of 

 the most eminent judicial authorities lately in India, and many of 

 the members of the Court of Directors, would go further to suppress 

 murders, crimes, and misrule consequent on the transmission of 

 money by private hands than any other thing." 



The few maps and papers printed by Major Jervis at his private 

 press were equal to the best of the day, according to the testi- 

 mony of many able geographers ; and Mr. Greenough thus writes, 

 " Your map of the Duskrooe Purgunnah is admirable both in design 

 and execution : would that the whole of India were laid down on 

 your model!" (December 6, 1844); Sir G. Rennie says, "I could 

 not have conceived the perfection to which the lithographic art had 

 arrived till I saw these specimens, although we have have had much 

 experience in our dealings with the trade for railway and other 

 maps" (January 21, 1845); while with regard to the maps of 



