•
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 3RD SEPTEMBER, 1881.
MAJOR H. S. PALMER, R.E., TO THE ACTING SURVEYOR GENERAL.
HONGKONG, 17th July, 1881.
801
SIR-As was arranged between us when you were good enough to call upon me on the 17th of May, to consult me about the Observatory proposed to be established in Hongkong, I have written the accompanying Report, which contains my views on the whole subject. If you concur with this report, as a broad exposition of the purposes which such an institution should be made to subserve, as well as of the scope which should be given to it and the main features of construction, I would suggest that it be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary, for the information of His Excellency the Governor, with any separate remarks that you may wish to make.
If His Excellency approve of the scheme, I shall be very glad to help in preparing the detailed plans, and to advise generally as to further procedure in the matter.
I have the honour to be,
E. BOWDLER, Esq.,
Acting Surveyor General.
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
H. S. PALMER,
Major, R.E.
REPORT
ON THE PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A PHYSICAL OBSErvatory at Hongkong,
BY MAJOR H. S. PALMER, R.E., F.R.A.S.
{
On examining the papers which relate to this subject, I find that, in September, 1879, Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, forwarded, for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor, the following letter which he had received from Dr. WARREN DE LA RUE, Vice-Chairman of the Kew Committee of the Royal Society:
"I am instructed by the Kew Committee of the Royal Society to request that you will bring to "the notice of the Right Honourable the Secretary of State the favourable position occupied by the "Colony of Hongkong for certain physical observations, especially with regard to the typhoons of the "China seas, on meteorology generally, and on terrestrial magnetism, with a view to a communication "to Governor POPE HENNESSY, and of an effort to induce the Government of that Colony to support “for a limited term of years an Observatory provided with self-recording instruments.
"Her Majesty's Government have already shown so warm an interest in the promotion of physical "research, in connection with the Observatory of Mauritius, that it is hardly necessary for the Kew "Committee to do more than point out to you the extreme importance of obtaining accurate records of "the Magnetic and Meteorological conditions of the China seas.
"Our knowledge of these facts is, at present, but scanty. The existing Observatories at which continuous observations are taken on the Eastern Coast of Asia and the adjacent islands are--Batavia, "lat. 6 deg. 11 min. S., long. 106 deg. 40 min. E., supported by Holland. Manila, lat. 14 deg. 53 "min. N., long. 120 deg. 52 min. E., Society of Jesus. Zi Ka Wei (Shanghai), lat. 31 deg. 13 min. "N., long. 121 deg. 27 min. E., Society of Jesus. Peking, lat. 39 deg. 53 min. N., long. 116 deg. 29 "min. E., the Russian Embassy.
''
'Hongkong lat. 22 deg. 15 min. N., long. 114 deg. 12 min. E., which divides the distance "between Manila and Zi Ka Wei, would form a most valuable addition to the above list.
"The India Office have recently reconstituted the Meteorological system of Hindostan on a very "extensive scale, and the Committee beg to forward herewith a letter from Mr. BLANFORD, the chief "of that organization, in which he states very clearly the great advantages which would accrue, especially to Meteorology, from such a measure as the establishment of an Observatory at Hongkong.
"The Committee estimate the cost of instrumental outfit at about £1,000.
"The expenses of maintenance for chemicals and illumination (Gas or Paraffin) would amount "in this country to about £100 a year.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.