26 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Jan. 



Instruments, and fortified by his own study of all that was new or 

 important in the surveys in Europe. He was now appointed to the 

 high office of Surveyor General of India. Under his direction, this 

 work progressed, and other measurements of the great arc were carried 

 on, until the whole Indian arc from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas 

 was completed. 



The operations involved in this important work were described by 

 Colonel Everest in his work on " the measurements of two Sections of 

 the Meridional arc of India." He was elected an honorary member of 

 this Society in 1860, and on that occasion it was justly said — " Of 

 the many works executed under Colonel Everest's directions, the most 

 important, and that by which he will be best known to posterity is 

 the Northern portion of the great Meridional arc of India, 11J° in 

 length. No Geodetic measure in any part of the world surpasses or 

 perhaps equals in accuracy this splendid achievement. By the light it 

 throws on researches into the figure and dimensions of tl^ earth, it 

 forms one of the most valuable contributions to that branch of science, 

 which we possess, whilst at the same time it constitutes a foundation 

 for the geography of Northern India, the integrity of which must for 

 ever stand unquestioned. Colonel Everest reduced the whole system 

 of the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India to order, and established 

 the fixed basis on which the geography of India now rests." 



His name is perpetuated in India by being associated with one of 

 nature's grandest works. The highest peak of the Himalayan 29,002 

 feet above the level of the sea, is Mount Everest : a graceful compliment 

 to his distinguished predecessor, paid by Sir A. "Waugh, the late 

 Surveyor General. On retiring from the service he received the honors 

 of Knighthood, and was elected on the Council of more than one learned 

 Society. They, in common with ourselves, have to deplore the loss of 

 this great geographer, whose death occurred at the ripe age of 77, 

 when he had been about sixyeais an honorary member of this Society. 

 From the ordinary list we have to regret the loss of Major General 

 Sir J. B. Hearsay, K. C. B. a member since the year 1848. Though 

 I am not aware of any contribution especially made to the Society 

 by this distinguished officer, it is worthy of record that amid the 

 arduous duties of a Military Commander, he yet found leisure as 

 a sportsman for the exercise of his tastes as a field naturalist. 



