70 APPENDIX to REPORT of COMMISSIONERS
Appendix.
It was announced to the meeting that the following noblemen and gentlemen had expressed *'
their regret that they could not attend the meeting, and their desire to forward so important 0'1*
an object:— rrfSfota "
The Duke of Leinster.
Sir Robert Peel's Lord de Vesci.
Instructions to the Earl of Wicklow.
Commissioners.
Larl of Charlemont.
Marquis of Kildare.
Earl of Rosse.
Lord Lorton.
Earl of Hillsborough.
Marquis of Ely.
Earl of Lucan.
Lord Farnham.
Earl of Enuiskillen.
Hon Dawson Darner.
Hon.
B.
Gore.
Mr.
Villiers Stewart.
Lord Courtenay.
Capt.
Jones.
Col.
Aston.
Mr.
Fitzstephen French.
No.
2.
Memorial from the Royal Irish Academy to Earl de Grey.
No.
2.-—To
his Excellency Philtp Earl de Grey, Lord-Lieutenant-General and General
Governor of Ireland, &c.
&c.
May it please your Excellency,
The Deputation from the Council of the Royal Irish Academy beg leave to draw the attention of your Excellency to the following statement.
In the prosecution ofthe Ordnance Survey of Ireland, it appears that, in addition to the usual details of such works, much valuable matter has been collected.
The desire of enlarging our knowledge as to the productive resources of the country has caused the collection of a vast quantity of information respecting its geology, natural history, and statistics, while the necessity of fixing on some sure basis, the orthography of the maps, has led to the accumula-> tion of a treasure of antiquarian research, wdiich is doubly precious from the perishing character of its materials, and the total neglect that previously attended such inquiries.
The academy, as specially including these pursuits among the objects of their institution, welcomed the appearance of the " Memoir of Derry" with a satisfaction too soon checked by the abandonment of that plan of publication, in which the materials of every kind, relative to the same locality, were brought together and exhibited in one view.
Since, however, they find that a separate publication of the geological part of the survey has been permitted, they venture to hope that the public will not be deprived of the remaining matter—in no respect less important, in some respects far more interesting.
Therefore, even were they not emboldened by the kind attention which your Excellency has ever shown to the national interests, they should feel themselves deficient in their duty, not merely to Ireland, but to the literary and scientific world in general, if they did not submit to your Excellency's consideration the propriety of continuing a work so well begun.
They do not of course presume to suggest the best mode of effecting this ; but while they are confident tHatihVcan be saccomprished at a trifling expense, in addition to that wThich has been already incurred, and 'which is* thrown awayuf its results are not published, they are also certain that the worfewill yield far more than a full equivalent of the cost, by exciting the gratitude of their countrymen, and reflecting honour on the Government.
William Rowan Hamilton, President ofthe Academy.
January 19th, 1843.
No.
3.
Letter from Capt.
Larcom, reporting the extent of the information col¬ lected during the Survey*
No.
3.—Letter
from Captain Larcom, of the Royal Engineers, reporting the extent ofthe Information collected during the progress of the Survey, and an Estimate of the Sum required to complete a Memoir of Ireland, exclusive ofthe Geological Section.
Sir, Ordnance Survey Office, Dublin, 16th May, 1843.
In reply to your letter of the 31st January, covering a memorial, addressed to His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, by the Royal Irish Academy, which prays the continuation of the Memoir of Ireland, begun some years since, in connexion with the Survey, but sub¬ sequently suspended as a complete work, and of which only the geological part was carried on, I proceed, in obedience to your orders, passing over the question of now resuming it as a whole, or even of again adding natural history to the geology, to report on the subject of statistics and antiquities, with other incidental information.
The statistic material was complete for the county of Londonderry, nearly so for Antrim, in part also for Tyrone, and some other counties; 'but in the latter years of the Survey the interest of the officers declined, from non-publication, and very little statistical matter was collected.
The historical material is much more copious.
In order to ascertain the correct names of places for the engravings, that they might become a standard of orthography as well as topo¬ graphy, numerous maps, records, and ancient documents, were examined, and copious extracts made fiom them.
In this manner a certain amount of antiquarian information has been col¬ lected relating to every place, parish, and townland in Ireland—more than 70,000—and the various modes of spelling them at different times has been recorded.
When these investiga¬ tions were complete, it was usual to send a person thoroughly versed in the Irish language to ascertain from the old people, who still speak the language, what was the original vernacular name, and we then adopted that one among the modern modes of spelling which was most consistent with the ancient orthography, not venturing to restore the original and often obsolete name, but approaching as near to correctness as was practicable.
