74 I roceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Feb. 



the bolts that fastened it to the stays. The destruction of the instru- 

 ment was due to the mode in which the sheet lead had been fastened. 

 The edges had been turned over the cornice of the roof and nailed 

 underneath, instead of being bolted right through, with iron bars above 

 and below the only fastening calculated to withstand a cyclone. No 

 doubt the builders had not contemplated the occurrence of a cyclone, 

 and the sheeting would have held fast in on ordinary storm ; but 

 when the wind had once made its way underneath the edges, nothing 

 could preserve it from being torn away. 



The notice of the approaching cyclone which is stated to have been 

 furnished to the Meteorological Reporter had never reached him, as 

 he had already explained officially. This was due to his having re- 

 turned from England only two days before, and having assumed charge 

 of his office only on the day before tjie cyclone, so that the notice 

 referred to had been sent to Mr. Ormsby, who had officiated during 

 his absence, instead of to himself. The non-receipt of this notice, 

 which he understood to be the report of the barometric reading for 

 10 h. of the 1st, had not however delayed his action. The Saugor Island 

 and C attack reports were of more importance in such cases than those 

 of Calcutta, but he had not felt justified in giving a general warning 

 to the shipping even on the receipt of the Saugor 10 h. report. This 

 had indeed prompted a telegraphic application for a further report, and 

 on the receipt of the reply, the warning was communicated to the 

 Master Attendant, before 3 o'clock of the afternoon of the 1st. The 

 letter addressed to him as Meteorological Reporter had been written 

 in reply to one which he had officially addressed to Colonel Thuillier 

 in the same capacity, and in which he had entered in greater detail 

 on the subject of the discrepant observations. It would hardly be 

 necessary to discuss these details at length before the Society, as the 

 resolution which had originated the correspondence had dealt with the 

 main facts of the case. 



The receipt of the following communication was announced. 



From Capt. H. H. Gr. Austen ; Notes to accompany a Zoological Map 

 of a portion of the Khasi Hills, near Longitude 91° E. 



Mr. Bayley announced that Col. Tennant is coming from England 

 fully equipped with instruments in order to observe the eclipse of the 

 sun which will occur on the 1 7th August, and will be total at Musulitam, 

 at which station Col. Tennant proposes to establish his observatory. 



