One of them combined the result of 1,159,353 separate observations on the force and direction of the wind, and upward of 100,000 observations on the height of the barometer, at sea.

As the value of such observations was recognized, more of them were made.

Through the genius and devotion of one man, Commander Maury, every ship became a floating observatory, keeping careful records of winds, currents, limits of fogs, icebergs, rain areas, temperature, soundings, etc., while every maritime nation of the world cooeperated in a work that was to redound to the benefit of commerce and navigation, the increase of knowledge, the good of all.
"In 1853, at the instance of Commander Maury, the United States called the celebrated Brussels Conference for the cooeperation of nations in matters pertaining to maritime affairs.

At this conference, Maury advocated the extension of the system of meteorological observation to the land, thus forming a weather bureau helpful to agriculture.

This he urged in papers and addresses to the close of his life.