None of the observations have been reduced. It is evident that from the end of 1831 onwards for some years, a record of the rainfall and probably barometer and thermometer was kept, because searching for other information recently, Mr. W. D. Campbell, C.E., found in "Votes and Proceedings, N.S. Wales" 1837, a report on the water supply of Sydney, by Busby's Bore, and with it a return of the rainfall at Parramatta, from January 1st, 1832, up to September, 1837, From the Astronomical books I have completed this record to the end of 1838, with only a few breaks. (See Rain and River Report for 1887.)

Several notes were made in the observing books, that the observer (i.e., Mr. Dunlop was laid up with "protracted sick ness") and it is evident that his health was gradually faailing, and in a dispatch by Sir Charles A. Fitzroy dated 11th July, 1847, he says, "Mr. Dunlop is anxious to resign his appointment on account of the state of his health, which renders him incapable of attending to his duties." (See also Appendix J.)

When Sir J. C. Ross was in Sydney on his exploring voyage in July, 1841, he took his chronometer to the Parramatta Observatory in order to correct his time, the Observatory being a well determined point of longitude and supposed to have accurate time. I cannot find any record of the interview, but I was told by one who was in Parramatta at the time that Mr. Dunlop, being out of health, replied to Sir James C. Ross' request to be supplied with the correct time in such a way that Sir James was deeply offended, and owing to this, and what he saw of the unsatisfactory state of the Observatory, he felt it to be his duty to report the state of matters to the Admiralty, who thereupon appointed a Commission of Enquiry into the state of the Paramatta Observatory. The members were Captain P. P. King, Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, Commanding Engineer, and the Ordnance Storekeeper. A contemporary living in Parramatta when the Commission sat told me that Captain King, to whom the Commission was entrusted, called at the Observatory and told Mr. Dunlop that in two months the Commission would call upon him with the object of enquiring into the state of the Observatory. This was carried out, and when Mr. Dunlop was asked for the records of his observations, he pointed to a series of bound books on the shelves and said, "There they are."

Many of the books were found to have been destroyed by the white ant, and hence probably some of the early observing books were destroyed in that way; but it appears from Appendix G that the written report said that the "instruments and books generally are in good condition, but the building are in a delapidated state." (See Appendices G and J.)

Bureau of Meteorology