INTRODUCTTON 
19 
11. The Secretary op H.M. Treasury to the Secretary or the 
EoYAL Society of Edinburgh 
Treasury Chambers, 
11 th September 1883. 
Sir, — Witli reference to your letter of the lltli of July last, and the rejDly from 
this Board, dated the 10th ultimo, relating to a proposal to execute a bathymetrical 
survey of certain fresh- water lakes in Scotland, I am directed by the Lords Com- 
missioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you that my Lords are informed 
that the nautical surveys of Loch Lomond and Loch Awe, referred to in your 
letter, were undertaken by naval officers in the interests of navigation, and that 
the same considerations do not apply to the other lochs, of whicli surve^^s are 
suggested in your letter. 
My Lords are also informed that the proposed bathymetrical surveys do not 
come within the functions of the Survey Department of the Office of Works (late 
Ordnance Survey). 
Under these circumstances, my Lords regret that they are unable to sanction 
the proposed surveys. I have the honour to be, etc., 
(Signed) Leonard Courtney. 
III. Discussion in the House of Lords 
In March 1884, in reply to Lord Balfour of Burleigh in the House of Lords, 
Lord Sudeley said : — 
" In reply to the noble Lord, I have to state that the operations of the Ordnance 
Survey have been hitherto restricted to such portions of the ground in the vicinity 
of fresh- water pools, and inland sheets of water generally, as are above the lowest 
water-levels. It is quite true, as the noble Lord has stated, that Loch Lomond 
and Loch Awe were surveyed, but that was undertaken by naval officers in the 
interests of navigation. The Government consider that a bathymetrical survey of 
all the lochs of Scotland would clearly be outside the function of the present 
Ordnance Survey of Scotland, which is already completed. Even if it were 
desirable, as the noble Viscount [Bury] has suggested, men would be taken off 
their work in England and the southern counties to carry this work out, and the 
general survey would be very much delayed. Such investigation would, no doubt, 
be most interesting from a scientific point of view in certain branches of geological 
inquiry to ascertain the forms of the basins occupied by the lakes. The Govern- 
ment will give the suggestions made by the noble Lord full consideration, and 
there will be no objection to lay the papers on the table. 
IV. The Secretary of the Royal Society of London to the 
Secretary of H.M. Treasury 
The Koyal Society, 
Burlington House, 2nd May 1884. 
Sir, — The President and Council of the Royal Society have had under con- 
sideration a communication from the Royal Society of Edinburgh, from which it 
would appear that the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury have stated 
that they are unable to sanction a bathymetrical survey of certain of the Scottish 
lochs, as proposed by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 
