'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from September 1850 to June 1852. Edited by the Secretary. Volume X.' [‎43] (64/458)

DR. BUIST ON THE HOT SPRINGS OF INDIA,
Xlii
Minxjte by the President. —I have the pleasure to submit to the Society, an'extract from t*
letter from Captain Hazlevvood, commanding the Rutnagherry Rangers, addressed to H. B.
Frere, Esq., late Commissioner at Sattara, describing some hot springs in the Southern Con-
can.
This subject is one of considerable interest in a Geographical and Geological point of view*
and is one which I would recommend to the attention of the Society.
I doubt if any complete account of these springs exists -a description, to be of any value,
should be very complete, so as to omit none—and very accurate and minute as to situation,
temperature, &c. &c.
If no description of this hind exists, (and our Secretary will be able to answer the ques
tion), I think the Society might rely on Captain Hazlewood’s assistance, to do what is re"
quired.
Perhaps the best plan w ould be for the Secretary to send this officer a tabular form, to
fill up, and to ask him to send a little rough sketch map of each locality, so as to show the
<exact position of each spring, with reference to villages, &c. The zilla maps of the two
Concans would assist in preparing these.
Major T. Jervis’ account of his survey of the South Concan may perhaps contain some in
formation respecting these springs.
If my suggestion is considered worthy of adoption, in communicating with Captain Hazle-
wood on the subject, the thanks of the Society should be conveyed to him for the interesting
information contained in his letter of the 23rd February, 1850.
22nd April, 1851. J. p. Willoughby.
The Secretry (Dr Buist) stated that we already possessed a considerable quantity
of information in reference to the hot springs of India : it would be in the last
degree desirable to have it encreased in amount, and made more precise and
exact in quality . and no better plan for doing so could be adopted than that
pointed out by the President. Officers on out-post duty, and more especially
when in charge of irregular troops, could, with very little trouble to themselves,
on many occasions perform the most important services to science. Sir R. Impey
Murchison had called the attention of the Governor and Commanderin-Chief of
India to the achievements in this way of Captain Vicary, of the Bengal
service, who had traced the marches made by him in course of military duty by
a list of most valuable papers on various branches of natural history. Captain
Newbold, Dr Malcolmson, and others, had also earned imperishable names for
themselves by similar service. Much scientific knowledge is not at all an in
dispensable qualification in the observer: careful and diligent enquiry, and
keen and unceasing observation, could of themselves accomplish wonders* Tho
temperature of some hot springs was believed to fluctuate with the different
seasons of the year ; that of others was supposed to increase or decrease iu the
course of a term of years ; and a precise determination of the fact would be most
desirable. The hot springs near the shores of the Red Sea are sulphureous :* they
are probably connected with the great volcanic belt of which Aden, Gibbel
Teir, and the Zeybar Islands, furnish the most notable manifestations. The springs
of Dl-kaor in the oasis of Dakkleh, are the hottest known in this neighbourhood,—.
they reach a temperature of 102° ,* Moses’ Wells, near Tor, in the Sinai
5 u # ^P^ a f n r ^ ew h°ld on the temperature of Intertropical Springs and Rivers.—London Phi-
^©soptucal transactions and Edinburgh new Philosophical Journal, 1849, p. 102.