THE

TRANSACTIONS

OF THE

BOMBAY GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

FROM DECEMBER 1854 TO MARCH 1856

(NEW ISSUE.)

EDITED BY THE SECRETARY.

VOLUME XII.

min

BOMBAY:

PRINTED AT THE "TIMES" PRESS,

BY T. W. WRAY.

MDCCCLVI,

J.C.D. LIBRARY

CONTENTS.

1

MEETINGS.

PAPERS.

17th August 1854.On the Resuscitation of the Society-DR. Buist...
14th September.-On the Princi al Depressions on the Surface of the
Globe-Continental River Basins, ix.-Great Salt Lake, xi.—Natron
and Bitter Lakes, xiii.-Arral and Caspian, xv.-Dead Sea, xvii —
Depths of the Ocean, xix.-DR, BUIS'...... .................. ........................... ..................................
19th October-Captain Selby's Survey off the Shores of Bombay.-

Instruments employed in Geographical Research.-DR. BUIST ...........
16th November.-On the Bombay Hurricane.-DR. BUIST...
14th May 1855.-GENERAL MEETING-Report of the Operations for the

ART. I.-Remarkable Hail Storms in India, from March 1851 to May
1855-DR. BUIST...........................................................

ART. II.A short account of the Principal Arctic Expeditions under-
taken in England by Sea or Land, betwixt 1953 and 1854-DR. BUIST,
ART III.-Brief Observations forming an Appendix to the Map of
Bagdad-COMMANDER JONES............................................................................................................
ART. IV.The Survey of the Malabar Coast, by LIEU. SELBY.........
ART. V.-Memoir on the Hydrography of the Persian Gulf-LIEUT.
CONSTABLE....................... ....................................

APPENDIX.

Hurricanes in the Indian Seas from 1643 to 1854, 1 to 5-Rainy Days in
the Red Sea, 5 to 6-Rain of Pearls, 6 to 7-Former Climate of
Scinde, 7 to 8-Rapid Growth of Trees, 9-Water Plants, 8 to 9-
Guinea-worn, 10-Sponges, 10 to 11-The Porc pine's Mode of
Defence, 11-Social Spiders, 12-The Mason Bee, 13-Possessed of
Evil Spirits, 13-Bottle Logs, 13 to 15-Sambur Salt Lake, Rajpoo.

PREFACE.

THE present number of the Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society has been nearly a twelve month. later in its appearance than was intended. The retardation being due partly to the difficulty of getting a large number of the papers prepared for the press, and in part to the delay occasioned in passing these through the printer's hands, at a time when the somewhat limited typographical resources of Bombay were taxed with more than usual severity.-And meanwhile matter which must be deferred, has accumulated, well nigh sufficient to put another number to press.

A considerable alteration in the form of publication has just been made, and the number now issued may be considered the first of a new series. From the irregularity of publication, and the long intervals which ensue betwixt consecutive issues, it has been deemed expedient to make each successive number complete in itself as if a separate volume, no matter how insignificant in its size. For convenience of reference, each will be furnished with a Title Page and Table of Contents at the beginning, and an Alphabetical Index at the conclusion. In India, Scientific notices of much interest, though it may be of insignificant volume, are constantly making their appearance in the Newspapers, where in the course of a few months or years they are altogether lost sight