'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎3] (22/258)

DU. BUIST ON THE RESUSCITATION OP THE SOCIETY.
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that, which every where throughout the world is found so attractive, should here
be neglected. The Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. forms the seat of Government, the Head Quarters
of an Army of above 70,000 men, of a Navy of above thirty ships of War contain
ing close on 200 Commissioned Officers. Betwixt four and five hundred square
rigged vessels with from a 1,000 to 1,500 officers of intelligence on board, and
bearing amongst them a freight of 200,000 Tons, worth six millions sterling, annu
ally resort to our port. From 70 to 100 of these with from 2 to 300 officers are
generally at one time in the harbour. With two Supreme Courts and their office
bearers, and a numerously appointed bar, we have a large Mercantile community,
Native and European, deeply interested in the science of Geography, and who in
the early part ot our career took a large share in the proceedings. The charges
oi our Societ}'—15 Rs. annually, with no fee of admission^-are so insignificant,
that they ought to be no obstruction whatever; and the facilities of admission have
always appeared to me to be almost too great. But this is not all; with a libera
lity which if equalled any where can no where be surpassed, we have thrown our
meetings open to the public, merely retaining the nominal power of closing them
when we desire to be alone. Every member has a right to give admission to two
friends, and to avoid all formality or trouble, any person presenting himself in the
lobby will at any time be welcomed by the members present. There are times,
but they are of a rare occurrence, when we wish to be alone, and then we refuse
admission to strangers, or desire them to withdraw, and there may be obnoxious
individuals against whom the power of exclusion would be exercised in the absence
of a member’s order. If our library is not very large, it contains a varied collec
tion of books of general interest, and much more than sufficient for our wants.
We have generally in our Rooms a supply of instruments, new and beautiful in
form, and which cannot be surpassed in excellence, and we have a collection—
thanks to the liberality of the Lords of the Admiralty, the Bombay Government,
dnd the Subscribers to the Ross Testimonial'—of Atlasses, Charts, and Maps,such
as is not to be met with, save in the United States, any where out of Europe.
To all these the Public at large have as free access, within the rooms of the
Society, as if they were their own. Any man, by permission of the secretary,
and if connected with Navigation, even this small formality is dispensed with,
may from 10 to 5 any day or every day in the week use our Rooms as his
study. He may examine our atlasses, copy our charts, or read our books—he
will find comfortable accommodation, pencils, pens, ink and paper, tracing
glasses and tracing paper with everjdhing else he can desire, free of all charge
and without so much as an honorarium to the door-keeper. Surely it might
be supposed that things to be met with no where else without great expence and
trouble, which are not attainable elsewhere in the East on any terms what
ever would present to the intelligent Navigator attractions as great as the
Smoking Room or Billiard Room of an Hotel, of the Dubashes’ Office, or Parsee
Gup Shop. I have stated these things not that they are unknown to any one
present, but with the object of their finding their way out of doors, feeling
confident that it is the ignorance prevailing in regard to us that has caused
us to be neglected, and that were our economy and proceedings more ge