'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎73] (90/258)

CHARTOGRAPHY, 1855.
Ixxiii
condition of that space which intervenes, betwixt Africa and the peninsula of
Hindustan, one which commerce to the value of above twenty millions sterlimr
is annually borne. Of the skeleton atlas, the omission of which in the
Draughtsman’s catalogue is already noticed, it becomes not me to speak The
following are the words of a reference made to it by the Earl of Horrowbv
when presiding at the British Association at Liverpool in 1854
c< Wind and Current Charts have been published of late years, chiefly based on
the great work of the United States Government, at the suggestion of and su
perintended by Lieut. Maury ; and by studying such charts and directions, na
vigators have been enubled to shorten their passages materially. In many cases
as much as one fourth, in some one—third, ot the distance or time previously
employed. Much had been collected and written about the winds and currents
by Rennell, Capper, Reid, Redfield, Thom, Piddinston, and others ; but general at
tention was not attracted to the subject, however important to a maritime country
till the publication of Lieut. Maury’s admirable observations. Encouraged by the
practical results obtained, and induced by the just arguments of tliat officer, the
principal maritime powers sent duly qualified persons to assist at a Conference held
at Brussels last year on thesubjectof Meteorology at sea. The report of that Con
ference was laid before Parliament, and the first direct result of it was a voie of
money for the purchase of instruments and the discussion of observations. All the
valuable meteorological data which have been collected at the Admiralty, and all
that can be obtained elsewhere, will be tabulated and discussed in this new depart
ment of the Board of Trade, in addition to the coutinually accruing and more
exact data to be furnished in future. A very large number of ships, chiefly Ameri
can, are now engaged in observations ; stimulated by the advice, and aided by the
documents so liberally furnished by the United States Government, at the instance
of Lieut. Maury, whose labours have been incessant. Not only does that Govern
ment offer directions and charts gratis to American ships, but also to those of our
nation in accordance with certain easy and just conditions. In this country the
Government, through the Board of Trade, will supply a certain number of ships
which are going on distant voyages with 4 abstract logs’ (or meteorological regis
ters) and instruments gratis, in order to assisteffec'ively in carrying out this im
portant national undertaking. In the preface to a late edition of Johnston’s ‘ Wind
and Current Charts,’ published last June at Edinburgh, Dr. Buist says ,— 4 It has
been shown that Lieut. Maury's charts and sailing directions have shortened the
voyages of American ships by about a third. If the voyages of those to and from
India were shortened by no more than a tenth, it would secure a saving, in freight
age alone, of 250,000?. annually. Estimating the freights of vessels trading from
Europe with distant ports at 20 , 000 , 000 ?. a year,—a saving of a tenth would be
about 2 , 000 , 000 ?. ; and every day that is lost in bringing the arrangements for the
accomplishment of this into operation occasions a sacrifice to the shipping interest
of about 6000?, without taking any account of the war navies of the world.’ It is
obvious that, by making a passage in less time, there is not only a saving of ex
pense to the merchant, the shipowner, and the insurer, but a great diminution of
the risk from fatal maladies,—as instead of losing time, if nbt lives, in unhealthy
localities, heavy rains, or calms with oppressive heat, a ship properly navigated
may be speeding on her way under favourable circumstances. There is no reason
of any insuperable nature why every part of the sea should not be known as well
as the land if not indeed better than the land, generally speaking, because move
accessible and less varied in character- Changes in the atmosphere over the ocean
as well as on the land are so intimately connected with electrical agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. (of course
including magnetism), that all seamen are interested by such matters, and the
acts which they register become valuable to philosophers. Meteorological infer-