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 depth and bringing back a bottom specimen, was 1 hour, 56 minutes, 32 seconds. The quickest time was made, when sounding at a depth of 3009 fathoms, which occupied 1 hour, 29 minutes, 32 seconds only.

The soundings are made at night as well as by day, and the incomparable working of the Thomson machine is a source of never ending wonder and admiration to all who witness it.

Nor is it a small gratification to receive back the specimen cups and thermometers which have travelled down so far, and snatched answers from those dark mysterious abysses which the heart of man has ever been questioning with but faintest replies.

This paper has been hastily prepared, and is with diffidence respectfully submitted to the Asiatic Society of Japan. GEO. E. BELKNAP,

Commander, U. S. Navy.

A Regular Meeting of the Society was held on the 13th of May 1874, at the Grand Hotel; Dr. Hepburn, the President in the Chair.

Owing to the absence of the Recording Secretary the Minutes of the last Meeting were not read.

Printed copies of the Amended Constitution and By-Laws were laid on the table for the use of the members. Some Fossils were presented by Judge Goodwin, and a Crinoid from Inoshima by Rev. Mr. Cooper. Also a copy of Vol. I. of Botanical Researches in Japan by Dr. Sabatier of YokoskaYokosaka [sic].

The names of the following gentlemen, as new members, were announced:—Messrs. C. W. Goodwin, C. W. Kinder, Herbert Cope, John J. Quin, F. Ringer, J. C. Smith, T. B. Glover, Alex. Wright, D. D Inglis, J. J. Van der Pot, F. Heelyer, and Rev. H. Burnside.

A Committee was appointed to confer with the Literary Society on the subject of a new Hall to be occupied by the two Societies conjointly.

In the absence of the writer, C. W. Lawrence, Esq. of H. B. M. Legation, a paper “Notes of a Journey in HatachiHitachi [sic], Shimôsa and Kadzusa” was read by Mr. Satow; who afterwards explained in answer to an enquiry, that the removal of Buddhist Shrines and Temples about which so much had been said recently, was to be understood—not as an endeavour to extirpate Buddhism, but only as a clearing away from Shintô grounds and temples of what had been intruded there during the Shôgunate.