medicines liberally administered, there was not stamina in their constitu tion to enable them to rally from the debilitating effects of the disease.

In the course of our duty in surveying along the coast, considerable exposure was necessarily made of the crew of the Childers.' On all such. occasions it was as much as possible endeavoured to give the people extra food, and quinine was also administered, in fact, throughout the service, every exertion was made to procure as much and as great chan es of diet as circumstances would permit. Up to this date, March 24th, twenty-seven cases of fever have occurred; (12th of May, 63) cases on board, all of the same debilitating nature; but, with the exception of one, under peculiar circumstances, which proved fatal, all were recovered, and in general at duty again in 7 days.

I believe that my own experience of the shore climate was far greater than that of any one else among us. But I have reason to be thankful that, though occasionally unwell, I did not suffer from a headache throughout my whole visit.

Next to the two precautions which may be inferred from what has been said, viz. those of keeping from direct exposure to the sun; and a generous -not intemperate-diet. I would mention the necessity of watching and preparing for the great changes of temperature to which the climate is liable; while by day the lightest clothing was too heavy, by night it has been chill under two blankets and a counterpane. An hour before sunset this change takes place, and should always be met by a change to woollen clothing; last, not least, I mention the necessity of keeping a careful watch over the due and regular performance of the digestive functions. Under employment for mind and body, with the above cautions, viz. avoiding undue exposure; good-but temperate living; accommodation to changes of temperature; attention to regularity of digestion, I incline to think that Chedooba, if not Arracan generally, would be found not so fatal a climate to Europeans as has been hitherto supposed.

With regard to the effect of climate on the natives, I would observe firstly, that in the course of their employment for objects connected with the survey, there are few of the able bodied males on the Island whom I had not under personal observation. A small, but well made, active, intelligent race, most cheerful and enduring of fatigue (when obliged to it). In my journeying through the Island, at every village (and few if any were not visited) all ailments were made subjects of application for advice or medicine. These cases amounted to two of fever, one of dropsy, one of paralysis, one of blindness, and one of deformity of limbs. Three cases of fever also occurred among the native (Bengallee) attendants who were with me.

But it may be fair perhaps to increase the apparently small list, by the admission that there exists a disease to a considerable extent, to which the inhabitants of Chedooba are subject, and under which at every village we found perhaps many sufferers, women as well as men, but chiefly the latter; nor in any case though always coming forth to meet us, did it seem to be looked on by either the parties themselves, or their friends as a case on which to apply for commiseration or relief.

'Old age' is very prevalent on the Is'and, and but few of the villages of Chedooba but can produce more than one, often several, of their inhabitants labouring under the affection of four score years or upwards; many under such burthen, hale, almost vi orous, in mind and body. The party who informed me of the period taken for the clothing of the N. W. plain with verdure, and who had till 15 years old been in the habit of fishing over it, when under the Sea, with his father by name Pallaree, and living in the Inrooma circle, is generally looked on as the senior amongst these 'Appogee' (a respectful term of address to old people). He claimed to have run through 106 years, at which age he walked 12 or 13 miles in order to meet us, and on being disappointed then walked back again (not I believe the same day); when we did meet, it was after a walk of nearly two miles, when he was certainly in body, rather shakey, but after a short rest he recovered himself perfectly. His mind and memory were perfectly sound, as also his hearing, and sight, his speech very slow, but clear and distinct; not a tooth in his head was gone or apparently inclined to depart, and he was not only cheerful, but joking with all around. He ridiculed my not being so old as his great-grandson, who accompanied him, said that he had left off eating animal food but two years since, and when questioned as to what had been his customary food in ages by-gone, answered readily any thing even a part of a man if I had wanted it,' a confession which he only modified, to the laughter and remark of the party around, by adding if it had been given as medicine,' I know not whether it may be taken as evidence of the existence, to any considerable extent, of another interesting disease in Chedooba, to add that Pallaree, entered into the bonds of matrimony with his last wife 2 years ago.

(Sd.) C. P. HALSTED, Commander.

{

Report on the Soils brought from Chedooba, by H. M. S. CHILDERS.' By the Officiating Curator, Mus. As. Sco.

The box of Soils and Minerals, brought by Capt. Halsted, having been referred to me for report, I take leave to subjoin the following remarks to Captain Halsted's very able notes. He has, most unfortunately, omitted to bring us specimens, of the different rocks as well as of the soils. It would have been highly desirable to have had a complete series of these, from the beach lines to the highest point, and in various directions, with as many shells and other organic remains, as could be found, and measurements of elevation; especially those of the old beach lines' alluded to by Captain Halsted. Such a series if it can be still obtained, would be of the greatest interest, for we have there an active volcano in the centre of an Island, upheavements going on on the Coast within the memory of man, and coal found; all within the space of a few miles! I need not say how valuable rocks and organic remains would be to illustrate all this.

In the absence of any geological data then my remarks must be mostly agronomical, as regards the soils, and mineralogical in regard to the minerals. I take them in the order in which Captain Halsted has numbered them.

No. 1. Of this little or nothing can be said in addition to Captain Halsted's remarks. The process of natural manuring, to which he alludes is not however, I should think, the sole cause of the fertility of the soils. It will be seen upon close inspection, particularly with a magnifier, that minute particles of carbonaceous matter are dispersed throughout the mass as if they had been originally deposited with the soil, by whatever process this was formed; the one described by Captain Halsted would scarcely we may suppose have distributed it so evenly, but a more extended examination on the spot, could alone entitle us to argue safely on the subject which is one of much importance. No 15,

is a soil of the same kind, and it has also some, though a smaller, mixture of carbonaceous matter dispersed through it: both appear to be surface soils only.

No. 2 and 3, are more sandy. No. 3, seems to contain some carbonaceous matter also.

No. 4. Remarkably assimilates to the tea soils of Assam and China, in appearanee! and like those of Assam this also occupies the higher spots. As the climate and population of Chedooba probably place tea out