1866.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 51 



that end to solicit the aid of the Government of the Punjab and of 

 his Highness the Maharajah of Cashmeree. 



The following communications were announced : — 



1. From Babu Gopee Nauth Sen, 'Abstract of hourly meteorological 

 observations taken at Calcutta in September, 1865.' 



2. From W. T. Blanford, Esq., ' Contributions to Indian Malacology, 

 No. VI.' 



3. From Capt. A. B. Melville, * Notes on a Buddhist temple at Dob 

 Khond in Gwalior,' with facsimiles of the inscriptions. 



4. From R. Taylor, Esq., ' Notes on the physical changes at the 

 Koen Pagoda near Madras.' 



Mr. Taylor's letter was read 'as follows, — 



" I have just returned from the Koen Pagodas, and advise you to arm 

 any friend who may be intending a like trip, with any account of 

 the place which may have appeared in the Society's Journal (two or 

 three did, I think, some thirty years back), for the Gazetteer is worth 

 little more than Murray. 



" But I am not going to write archaeology : the most important ques- 

 tion about the place is, whether or not there have been great physical 

 changes since the works there were first commenced. A writer in 1831, 

 (I think), maintained that the sea line on this coast is perpetually 

 advancing or receding, and that now at the point in question, the coast 

 is encroaching on the sea. Accurately to determine this, would require 

 minute observations carried on at all seasons for many years together ; 

 I only offer for record my own observation. 



" Three points in all such cases require careful note : the time of year, 

 the late weather (in general terms,) and the state of the tide. The 

 N. E. monsoon on this coast has, as its first result, a very marked 

 decrease in the width of the beach, and I believe storms at other 

 times of the year have, to some extent, the same effect. My visit then 

 was paid in Christmas week, during the currency of the N. E. monsoon, 

 after no markedly stormy weather, through the Surf- flag had been 

 flying at Madras for some days in the previous week. — The tide 

 should have risen on the days of my visit to the Pagodas 18in., 

 and is believed to have risen only about 10 inches ; the cyclone de- 

 stroyed the gauge ; so more cannot be said. The times of my visit to 

 the sea pagoda and the coast were 7 a. m. of 27th Dec, and 4-30 p. m. 



