108 



Lieut. J. HersehePs Account of the [Nov. 19, 



of the Bombay Engineers, one of the executive officers of our Department, 

 at that time engaged with myself and others in measuring a base-line in 

 the neighbourhood of Bangalore, for the polarization-observations or other- 

 wise, as I might arrange with him. He also placed at my future disposal 

 for the occasion the services of Lieut. Campbell's assistants, in case such 

 should be required, at the same time presenting to the Indian Government 

 an urgent proposal to give the Royal Society's expedition both countenance 

 and support. I enclose a copy of the reply to this proposal, in which it will 

 be observed that the Governor General in Council " cordially approves," and 

 " sanctions the necessary expenditure," and pledges the Government " to do 

 everything in its power towards securing full and accurate observations " 

 on the occasion — a pledge fully redeemed by the ready assent given to 

 more than one other application. I am accordingly enabled to submit to 

 your Society my present Report unaccompanied by any further appeal to 

 your Treasurer. 



11. Steps taken to procure local information as to weather fyc. 



The local Governments were also applied to to give effect to the circula- 

 tion of a series of queries calculated to elicit local information as to probable 

 climate at numerous points situated along the line of shadow. This was 

 the more necessary, as my position at Bangalore (in the very centre of the 

 peninsula) seemed to give a so much greater range of choice. In this 

 respect also a warm interest was evinced. I wish I could add that the mass 

 of correspondence which resulted was productive of an equal amount of 

 valuable information. The practical value was chiefly confined to extracts 

 from rain -registers, the principal question relating to probable cloudiness or 

 otherwise being perhaps necessarily replied to too vaguely to form legiti- 

 mate grounds for decision, owing in great measure to the fact that August 

 is one of the most uncertain months in the year, in that respect, in southern 

 India. 



Rough notion of rain distribution across the peninsula in August. — On 

 the whole, however, it appeared that across the whole width of the penin- 

 sula cloudy weather was to be expected at that season ; and there was 

 therefore no choice but what could be based on rainfall. The annexed 

 diagram represents the impression (necessarily a vague one) remaining on 



my mind after considering the reports. On the west coast anything up to 

 25 inches a week has been recorded in August ; on the eastern slopes of 



