312 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [No. 3, 



fore be unable to trace back their causes. For it is certain that in 

 proportion as effects are extreme, causes are in fact strongly marked, 

 whether we see them or not. 



In truth, all meteorological phenomena are more or less directly 

 dependent on the action of the sun on the earth's surface, and just 

 in the same proportion as the power of the sun is great in a tropical 

 country, so are atmospheric phenomena strongly marked, and so 

 have we a right to expect greater facility in investigating their 

 laws. 



It is indeed, we believe, to observations made in tropical countries 

 that the science of meteorology will eventually be indebted for any 

 great advance that it may make. 



Having these views, we are strongly impressed with the real 

 importance of the study of this branch of science in India, and we 

 hope that something may be done to give method and consistency to 

 the many unsystematic and independent series of observations that 

 are in fact now made in various parts of the country under various 

 agencies. 



The most important meteorological observations made in the 

 Bengal Presidency are those of the Surveyor General's Department 

 at Calcutta. They have been maintained for many years with all 

 reasonable precautions to secure accuracy, so far as we are informed, 

 and we feel that we are much indebted to the Government for them. 

 Other similar series are made at Bombay and Madras. But till now 

 we have never had any really systematic observations of this sort 

 anywhere in the interior of the great continent of India under 

 British rule. There have been many isolated series for short periods 

 which are of a certain value, but for the purposes of science it is 

 most important that the observation should be made at one and the 

 same time over a large area, and in such a manner as to be really 

 comparable one with another, which is very far from being the case 

 in most of the old registers. 



Next we may mention the observations made on the ships either 

 of the Government or of private persons. With some little addi- 

 tional attention, these might be made of the highest utility as 

 contributions to our knowledge ; at present they can hardly be said 

 to be brought into the common stock at all. 



Besides the more systematic registers, there are many other re- 



