1S62.] 
91 
Proceedings ofihe Asiatic Society. 
Natural History. 
T. Oldliam, Esq.; Dr. W. Crozier ; Dr. T. Anderson ; Dr. A. C. 
Macrae; W. Theobald, Esq., Jr.; J. 0. Medlicott, Esq.; and Dr. J. 
Fayrer. 
Meteorology and Physical Sciences. 
The Yen’hie J. H. Pratt; Lieut.-Col. H. L. Thuillier; Bahu 
Badha Nath Sikdar; T. Oldham, Esq.; Dr. H. Halleur; and J. 
Obbard, Esq. 
Coin Committee. 
Babu Bajendralal Mitra; E C. Bayley, Esq. ; and Capt. W. N 
Lees. 
Communications were received— 
1, From Major J. T. Walker, a paper on the Trigonometrical 
Survey of India. 
2. From Babu Badha Nath Sikdar, Abstracts of Meteorological 
Observations taken at the Surveyor General’s Office in July and 
August last. 
Major Walker read a paper on recent additions to our geographical 
knowledge of districts bordering on the British frontier Trans-Indus. 
He pointed out that there is a large tract of country west of the 
Soolimani range, and south of the Soofaid Koh, which lies beyond 
the reach of the topographical surveys of the Trans-Indus frontier 
and the route surveys between Khelat and Kabul, and is shown on 
all extant maps of the Punjab and Affghanistan as a terra incognita. 
It extends over 5° of latitude, and averages 2° in longitude, including 
an area of 50,000 square miles, which is nearly equal to that of Eng¬ 
land. The inhabitants are various tribes of Pathans and Beloocliies, 
who are particularly suspicious of Europeans and jealous of admitting 
them into their country. 
In 1840 Lieut. Broadfoot of the Engineers marched from Ghizni 
to Dera Ismail Khan, by the route along the course of the Gomul 
river. But it is believed that he travelled in disguise with a Kafila 
of Powin Das, or native merchants, and could not obtain more informa¬ 
tion of the country than an itinerary, which was necessarily meagre, 
because executed without instruments, and dependant only on estimat¬ 
ed bearings and distances. 
During the sixteen subsequent years no opportunity appears to 
have offered of obtaining additional information of these countries 
