April, 1844.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. xxxv 



The following are the letters from Government and from Mr. Com- 

 missioner Bogle : — 



No. 687. 

 From Under-Secretary to the Government of Bengal, to the Secretary to the Asiatic 



Society. 

 Sir, — I am directed to transmit to you, copy of a letter from the Commissioner of 

 Arrakan, No. 453, dated the 16th December last, and of its enclosures, relative to the 

 visit paid by Lieut. Hopkinson, the Senior Assistant at Sandoway, to the site of the 

 Volcanic Island which recently appeared for a time to the south-east of Cheduba, to- 

 gether with a box containing the geological specimens referred to in the fourth para- 

 graph of Capt. Bogle's letter. 



Cecil Beadon, 

 Under-Secretary to the Government of Bengal. 

 Fort William, II th March, 1844. 



(Copies. No. 453.) 



From Capt. A. Bogle, Commissioner in Arracan, to T. R, Davidson, Esq., Secre- 

 tary to the Government of Bengal, General Department. 



Sir, — Capt. Williams, Senior Assistant Commissioner in charge of Ramree and 

 Cheduba, having in a letter dated 1 1th August 1843, No. 1828, copy of which is annexed, 

 intimated to me that a volcanic eruption had occurred off the S. end of " False Island" 

 in the end of July last, and that an Island had been formed on the spot, without however 

 conveying to me any of the particulars, I considered it proper to write to him imme- 

 diately to furnish me with the fullest information on the subject. 



2. In reply he acquainted me, that it was wholly impracticable to approach " False- 

 Island" during the S. W. Monsoon, and that the difficulties opposed to all communi- 

 cation with "Flat Island" or " Regweng," from whence the eruptions had been observ- 

 ed, were of such a nature, as to preclude the hope of being able to obtain any further 

 information before the close of the rains. 



3. As both the above islands are exposed to the full force of the Monsoon, and are 

 surrounded by innumerable dangers, it appeared to me by no means justifiable to en- 

 danger life by endeavouring to conduct any inquiries prior to the termination of the 

 tempestuous season; but in the month of October, I determined to depute Lieut. Hop- 

 kinson, Junior Assistant Commissioner, an officer of much intelligence and enterprize, 

 to visit the site of the reported eruptions as soon as the state of the weather in the Bay 

 of Bengal would admit of his proceeding to sea in one of the small Government Schoon- 

 ers belonging to this province, and on the 21st of that month, I accordingly addressed 

 him letter No. 839, of which a copy is appended. 



4. Immediately on its receipt, Lieut. Hopkinson proceeded to the spot, and having 

 made a full and diligent inquiry regarding the interesting circumstances reported, 

 and taken a survey of " False-Island," he has now favored me with a report under date 

 the 25th ultimo, No. 86, of which I beg leave to transmit a copy, together with his 

 Map of the " False Island," for submission to the Honorable the Deputy Governor 

 of Bengal ; and by the next trip of the "Amherst," I shall not fail to forward the 

 different geological specimens which accompanied Lieut. Hopkinson's report. 



