648163-1893-Committee-on-Meteorological-Reports-and-Weather-Forecasts-Committee-on-Meteorological-Reports-and-Weather-Forecasts — Page 2

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 14TH OCTOBER, 1893.

(Copy of Dr. Doberck's proposed Letter to the Colonial Secretary.)

To Honourable

1063

COLONIAL SECRETARY.

SIR,

At a meeting held to-day of the Committee appointed in your letter No. 1,253 of 29th ultimo, the members present requested me to read my letter HK.O. No. 81 which I had the honour to address you on the 11th instant, and which it ▲ I had omitted to read, appears that Ʌ [they had overlooked when]* it was laid on the table at the previous

meeting.

and they had not no-

tired that

A as incorrect, all navi-

gators having some

logy.

2. The members took exception at the third paragraph of my letter A [which knowledge of Meteoro- they consider reflects upon their skill in their profession, implying, as they say, it may be made to imply, that they would not be able to manœuvre a vessel in a Typhoon, or would not be able to make use of meteorological information, or would not be able to judge for themselves about the weather with reference to the amount of sail to be carried at any time by a vessel, &c., &c.]

Ste Note appended.

Omit clause 4 and substi-

tute as under.

In view of the object-

ions of these gentlemen

3. To this, interpretation I object, I simply meant to convey that they had no professional knowledge of meteorology as a mathematical science or of the way of working an Observatory. This interpretation follows from the previons paragraph, and the third paragraph of your letter No. 1,330 of the 13th instant proves that you understood it in the same sense in which I wrote it.

4. The gentlemen on the Committee admit that what I intended to convey, and what you understood me to say is not objectionable, but they nevertheless protest that the paragraph in question is most improper.

5. A I would [therefore] request permission from His Excellency the Governor to the paragraph in to expunge that paragraph, and would venture to ▲ return my letter HK.O. No. 81,

for that purpose as soon as possible.

question,

AP request you will

6. I would venture to request His Excellency's permission, for the appoint- ment of a shorthand Reporter as this Committee declare such an official to be absolutely necessary.

7. I would therefore strongly recommend the appointment of a shorthand Reporter, [and I expect that Mr. CHESNEY DUNCAN, lately Secretary to the Mer- cantile Marine Officers' Association will accept of that appointment.]

Comnander MILLER, R.N.

Captain TILLETT.

Captain G. C. ANDERSON,

Kindly approve and return.

(Signed)

W. D.

Note.-Clause 3 we object to altogether as conveying the general idea that none but professional Meteorologists can work an Observatory, or know anything of meteorology as a science. Whereas on the other hand we have numerous instances of observatories actually being worked by nautical men. Admiral Mouchez was for years Director of the Paris Observatory, an Observatory set up purely for scientific purposes at the Island of Ascension was worked by an Officer of R. M. L. I., the Observatory at the Cape was for the first years of its existence worked by a Naval Officer, and that at Portsmouth has always been.

* Dele portions within bracketá,