1864.] 



Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 



605 



No. 280. 



Military Department. 



To the Secretary to the Asiatic Society. 



Sib,— With reference to the office Memo, from this Dept. No. 226, 



dated 11th November 1863, requesting an early reply to a previous 



communication relative to the offer of the Asiatic Society to submit 



a scheme for systematically conducting and recording Meteorological 



Observations in India, I am directed to acquaint you that, in consequence 



of a further communication from the Right Hon'ble the Secretary of 



State, transmitting some suggestions of the War Department, the 



Eight Hon'ble the -Governor General in Council has decided to entrust 



the consideration of the question to the Sanitary Commission, and does 



not therefore consider it necessary to trouble the Society any further 



in the matter. 



His Excellency in Council, however, desires me to convey the 

 acknowledgments of Government to the Asiatic Society for their 

 original offer, and for the trouble they are believed to have taken 

 preparatory to carrying it out. 



I am, &c, 

 (Sd.) H. K. Burne, Captain, 



Secy, to the Govt, of India. 



Report of the Meteorological Committee. 



In reporting upon the measures which, in the opinion of the 

 Meteorological Committee, are essential to a sound and useful system 

 of Meteorological registration, it must be premised that in Meteoro- 

 logy, as in all branches of physical science, accuracy of observation, 

 and a clearly defined and rational aim, are indispensable to utility ; 

 and that, however desirable it may be that observations should be 

 numerous, it is far better to limit them to any degree, than, by 

 attempting to ensure fulness, to risk the accuracy and trust -worthiness 

 of the record. Labour and money are equally thrown away upon any 

 scheme which does not fulfil these all-important conditions. 



That this proposition is true, when the object is purely to ascertain 

 abstract laws, needs no argument ; that it is equally true when the 

 observations are made partly or chiefly with an economic or social 

 object, is no less certain, though it may not at first sight be equally 



4 i 



