1862.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 91 



Natural History. 

 T. Oldham, Esq. ; Dr. W. Crozier ; Dr. T. Anderson ; Dr. A. C. 

 Macrae ; W. Theobald, Esq., Jr. ; J. G. Medlicott, Esq. ; and Dr. J. 

 Fayrer. 



Meteorology and Physical Sciences. 

 The Ven'ble J. H. Pratt ; Lieut.-Col. H. L. Thuillier ; Babu 

 Eadha Nath Sikdar • T. Oldham, Esq. ; Dr. H. Halleur ; and J. 

 Obbard, Esq. 



Coin Committee. 

 Babu Bajendralal Mitra ; E C. Bayley, Esq. ; and Capt. W. N 

 Lees. 



Communications were received — 



1. From Major J. T. Walker, a paper on the Trigonometrical 

 Survey of India. 



2. From Babu Badha Nath Sikdar, Abstracts of Meteorological 

 Observations taken at the Surveyor General's Office in July and 

 August last. 



Major Walker read a paper on recent additions to our geographical 

 knowledge of districts bordering on the British frontier Trans-Indus. 



He pointed out that there is a large tract of country west of the 

 Soolimani range, and south of the Soofaid Koh, which lies beyond 

 the reach of the topographical surveys of the Trans-Indus frontier 

 and the route surveys between Khelat and Kabul, and is shown on 

 all extant maps of the Punjab and Afghanistan as a terra incognita. 

 It extends over 5° of latitude, and averages 2° in longitude, including 

 an area of 50,000 square miles, which is nearly equal to that of Eng- 

 land. The inhabitants are various tribes of Pathans and Beloochies, 

 who are particularly suspicious of Europeans and jealous of admitting 

 them into their country. 



In 1840 Lieut. Broadfoot of the Engineers marched from Ghizni 

 to Dera Ismail Khan, by the route along the course of the Gomul 

 river. But it is believed that he travelled in disguise with a Kafila 

 of Powin Das, or native merchants, and could not obtain more informa- 

 tion of the country than an itinerary, which was necessarily meagre, 

 because executed without instruments, and dependant only on estimat- 

 ed bearings and distances. 



During the sixteen subsequent years no opportunity appears to 

 have offered of obtaining additional information of these countries 



X 2 



