356 Biographical sketch of Col. Mackejide. [Oct. 



wildernesses. presenting few facilities or accommodations 

 for such a work, and never before explored by European 

 science, in a climate very insalubrious, is itself no corn- 

 mon performance ; and the minute divisions and details 

 of places of every description given in the memoirs of 

 the survey, with the masterly execution, upon a large 

 scale, of the general map, and its striking discrimination 

 of diflerent objects, rarely equalled by any thing of the 

 same nature that has come under our observation, — form 

 altogether an achi(>vement of extraordinary merit, ad- 

 ding most materially to the stores of Indian geography, 

 and of information useful for military, financial, and com- 

 mercial purposes. For such purposes, we shall wish the 

 many materials furnished by Lieutenant-C'olonel Mac- 

 kenzie to be used by our government ; and a set of his 

 memoirs ought, with that view, to be lodged in some of 

 the public departments, particularly that of the revenue 

 board, together with the sections of his map which he 

 purposes to form into an atlas. But desirous as we are 

 that the public at large should have the gratification, 

 and himself the credit, which would result from a gene- 

 ral knowledge of his work, we entertain considerable 

 doubts of the propriety * of publishing it at this time, 

 and would wish no measure to that end to be taken with- 

 out oux farther consideration and authority ; therefore 

 no copy of his map, or of the division of it, further than 

 for the public offices just mentioned, ought to be per- 

 mitted to be taken. 



5. On a full review of these labours, and of otliers 

 which were not so immediately within the scope of 



* Colonel Mackexzie does not intend such a publication with- 

 out some prospect of cncooragement to 80 cxten.sive a v/ork ; Lat 

 materials have been since added that will nearly complete the 

 peninsula. He conceives, however, that the publication of the 

 work would be uliiinaloly economical to the East India Company, 

 •e5dia.sive of its advantage to the public and to science. 



