1847.] Proceedings of the Mad. Lit. Society, 8^c. 201 



W. 244 miles ; and from Bellary to Iddamaeul, on a line about W. 

 by S. 156 miles. This map, without pretending to be a complete geo- 

 logical section, showed the prevailing rocks on the route. Associat- 

 ed with the sections were notices of the climate and mortality at 

 most of the principal stations ; comprising the maxima, minima, 

 and mean pressure of the barometer for some years, — the maxima, 

 minima, and mean indications of the thermometer, — the falls of rain, 

 the nature of the monsoons, — and the sickness and per-centage, mor- 

 tality of the European and Native troops. The whole of these labori- 

 ous results indicated no ordinary industry and judgment. Colonel 

 Sykes' object in exhibiting the sections was to call the attention of 

 railway Engineers to the use of the barometer as the precursor of the 

 Theodolite in determining the general levels of a country, with a 

 view to the selection of lines. He suggested also that Geologists 

 might use the barometer to fix the height above the sea of the strata 

 described. He stated that in the tropics the moderate oscillations of 

 the barometer admitted of levels being determined with some accu- 

 racy even when the instrument was used independently ; but that 

 when the instrument used had been previously compared with a stan- 

 dard barometer, and that contemporaneous observations were made, 

 he could testify from his own experience that a height so determined 

 might not differ 10 feet, when re -tested or re-observed after a lapse 

 of years. 



Athenceum, J\''o. 1029,^?. 771. 



Proceedings of the Madras Literary Society and Auxi- 

 liary OF THE EOYAL AsiATIC SoCIETY. 



At a Meeting of the Managing Committee held on Tuesday evening 

 the 21st January, 1845. 



Read a letter from Messrs. W. H. Allen and Co., dated 18th October, 

 1844, enclosing a BiU of Lading and Invoice for a case of Books consigned 

 to the Society on the " Emerald Isle" 



Read the following letter from Captain R Gill. 



To 



The Secretary to the Literary Society^ Madras. 



Sir, 



I have to apologize for the long delay which has occurred in answering 

 your kind communication from the Society ; which I was unable to do 



Bb 



