1864.] 



Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 



601 



On the motion of the Chairman, the thanks of the meeting were 

 voted to Dr. Stoliczka. 



The Secretary read the following report of the Meteorological 

 Committee of the Society, prefaced by an Introductory Memorandum ; 

 also a letter from the Government of India, Military Department, and 

 the resolution of the Council thereupon. 



Introductory Memorandum. 



The Meteorological Committee of the Society, as it at present exists, 

 was formed on the proposition of Colonel Strachey in April 1857, 

 apparently in the expectation that, as a deliberative body, it would 

 superintend the Collection of Meteorological observations, acting, to 

 quote the words of the original Memorandum, "asa controlling power 

 capable of combining the work of all observers." 



There are no records of any work having been done by the Committee 

 up to February 1861, when the offer of some self -registering instru- 

 ments to the Society gave rise to a discussion, which resulted in the 

 resolution, " That it is not desirable for the Society itself to attempt 

 to make Meteorological observations, but that the Council should be 

 recommended to address Government generally, on the importance of 

 establishing a uniform system of Meteorological Observation through- 

 out India, so managed as to admit of proper comparison ; and on the 

 means which should be adopted to bring about improvements in 

 existing registers ; and generally to further the accurate investigation 

 of Meteorological phenomena." At a subsequent meeting of the 

 Committee in April 1862, Colonel Strachey submitted the draft of 

 a Report in accordance with the above Resolution, and this with slight 

 alterations was sent up to the Council, and laid before the Meeting of 

 the Society in May 1862. 



In this report, after pointing out the great importance of a know- 

 ledge of Meteorological laws, and the direct influence of Meteorolo- 

 gical Phenomena on life, health, and property, and adducing the 

 drought and consequent famine of the previous year, as a prominent 

 instance in support of their view, it was shewn that the present system 

 of Meteorological Observation and record is totally inadequate to afford 

 the data requisite for the elucidation of the laws of the climate or for 

 enabling us to avail ourselves of them even were they known • that 

 while many of the records, now kept, are made with no sufficient 



