This memorandum was written from the superintending Engineer for submitting plans and estimate of Rs 21,300 for constructing quarters for the European Assistant to the Director

A memorandum from Public Works Department regarding buildings and roads in Kodaikanal about estimation

In this memorandum the government had under consideration the question of constructing residential quarters for the officers of the Police Department and proposed the portion marked 'D' in the enclosed plan of the Madras Observatory

This Memorandum no. 1619 is for Chief Secretary regarding the letter No. 123 dated 29 June 1898 where what kind of instruments are needed, cost of such instrument etc was asked

This item was a magnetic compass which was used by M.K.Vainu Bappu during the visit to Kavalur for site survey. The magnetic compass is a tool used for determining direction on the surface of the Earth. It operates by using a magnetic pointer that aligns itself with the Earth's magnetic field. This type of compass is the oldest and most commonly used in various forms of transportation such as aircraft, ships, and land vehicles. The Earth's magnetic field acts as an enormous bar magnet with a North-South field that causes freely moving magnets to take on the same orientation. Although the direction of the Earth's magnetic field is not entirely parallel to the North-South axis of the globe, it is close enough to make an uncorrected compass a reasonably good guide. The inaccuracy, known as variation (or declination), varies in magnitude from point to point on Earth.

Madras Observatory papers by J. Goldingham, by the order of the Government of Madras, in 1826

The book contains the proceedings of Madras Observatory and different government orders from the year 1857 to 1898. It is xerox copy of original books.

The fond contains observations notes on Madras meridian observations recorded during 1874-1904 from Madrsa Observatory. The observations concern minor planets, stars, equations for the stars i, j, and c, corrections to observed magnetic declination, the Moon and planets, R. Andromeda, Asia, minor planets, and apparent polar distance of stars.

In this item the Superintending engineer submits a report regarding the progress made on the new observatory buildings in Kodaikanal. It also talks about the special arrangements made by the general superintendent.

This item sanctions Rs.16700 to the current years grant for imperial civil works to meet the expenditures on observatory buildings in Kodaikanal including Departmental charges.