'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎64] (81/258)

Ixiv
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY.
loughby, both then vice-presidents, stated that Government ought to be very
grateful to the Society for undertaking the supervision of Mr. Mayes’ opera
tions, in the editing of his Observations. The earlier Observations had been
printed in the Reports of the Colaba Observatory, so that unless the labours
of Mr. Mayes—in my opinion surpassed in excellence by none of a similarly
light-handed establishment—were to be thrown overboard, it was merely
transferring the expense from one department to another.
The work having been completed and passed through the press, a misun
derstanding arose as to the settlement of accounts ; the letter of application for
the balance of Rs, 4,095 then due the printers, was unfortunately sent in for
payment during my absence, in Europe, and the various changes which had
arisen in the different departments of the Secretariat, might naturally have
caused the matter to be lost sight of. Government offering Rs. 3,000 as the
amount of our claims, instead of the full charge of the publication of the Aden
Observations,—their own, not ours—and for which they had at the outset
thanked us for taking on ourselves the trouble of editing. Another letter more
fully explaining the matter was sent in after my return, when the following
very handsome reply was received, granting our request in full:—
No. 351.—Marine Department.
Bombay Castle, 20th March, 1855.
Sir,—I a.m directed to acknowledge your letter. No. 35, dated 2d December
last, with its accompaniments, and in reply to inform you, that the Ri<dit
Hon ble the Governor in Council has authorized the Paymaster at the Presi
dency to pay to the Geographical Society the sum of Rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. four thousand
and ninety-five on account of the Meteorological Observations the Society has
had published, and such further expenses as may hereafter be incurred as the
publication of the Observations progresses, provided the whole, including the
sum now sanctioned, does not exceed seven thousand rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. .—I have &o ‘
(Signed) T. Maughan, Lieut.-Colonel, ’
Secretary to Goverment.
The importance of the auspicious arrangement of this matter was much
more momentous than appears on the face of the paper. Mr. Mayes’ labours
a Aden had long before their completion been referred to in the Philosophical
0t Lon , d ° r D. the y had been so highly approved of by the Society
STiU. 1 t.St.’Ztt
had taken on themselves the rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. „
ted their responsibility, there wls sMl rblTan^e 'oVr/ fopd 6 dlf* a
sum exceeding the whole amount of the money balance at o w disposal
pTOvWed 1 ^G(wernment^or^^ ^ ac ^’ Rs. 2^000 now u^dertoXbe
Observations in such creditable S befolThe^ to ^ the Aden
Placed in for the sake of om o^ "^ed to be