1839.] on the 3d, 4th, and 5th of June, 1839. 563 



There was no other nautical source from which information could 

 be obtained. I made a public request, in the newspapers, for the 

 heights of barometers at noon from the captains who had obliged me 

 with their logs, so as to compare these with the register kept at the 

 Surveyor General's Office, and obtain thereby, as nearly as possible, 

 the correct barometrical state of the atmosphere during the gale ; for it 

 was evident that, if one barometer had an error above, and another 

 below the truth, their difference would appear much greater than it 

 really was. In only one or two instances was this request attended to. 



As stated above, I found on the part of every public officer, as well 

 as on that of the 'merchants and agents whom I addressed, the greatest 

 readiness to assist me, and this was also the case with the majority 

 of the captains of ships ; some of whom seemed to take a pleasure in 

 affording all the information they could furnish, accompanying their 

 logs with detailed notes ; but a few were sadly churlish, and had to be 

 written to or called upon three or four times, before they could be 

 persuaded to take the trouble of furnishing me with the extract of the 

 four or five days' logs, which was all that was required ;* and others, 

 still more provokingly, having given me a valuable extract, paid no 

 attention to my repeated applications for further information on points 

 which would evidently have been of the greatest interest. I abstain 

 from mentioning names. But in one instance I called and wrote seven 

 different times, to obtain further notes, or a sight of the ship's log book, 

 and without success ! The subject was new to some, and they were 

 not aware of its importance. " I don't think they will make much of 

 it" was the remark of more than one ; until what had been " made" 

 of it was explained to them. Unfortunately indisposition prevented 

 me latterly from going on board of the few vessels which have 

 thus escaped me. There is, it is true, some excuse for men so 

 hurried and vexed as commanders of ships, having to discharge and 

 re-load in Calcutta, often are ; but I trust on a future occasion that, as I 

 shall elsewhere suggest, authority will be given to the Master Atten- 

 dant to compel the fulfilment of this public duty ; so exceedingly 

 trifling in itself from each individual, and yet so deeply important to 

 the community at large, and indeed to the very individuals from 

 whom it is required, did they rightly understand their own interests. 



It will be necessary first to place upon record the materials, before 

 proceeding to the deductions they afford ; but to do this within a more 



* The answer to my second or third chit in one instance is worth inserting. 

 " Mr. Piddington, Calcutta, 



" Sir, — I received your note, but I have not time to attend to such trifles. But if 

 you call on board the ship, in all probability the Mate will allow you to see it," — ~ 



