A well-appointed meteorological station has been established at Port Blair since 1868.
The home established near Port Blair is used as a sort of free asylum which the native visits according to his pleasure.
The harbour of Port Blair is well supplied with buoys and harbour lights, and is crossed by ferries at fixed intervals, while there are several launches for hauling local traffic. On Ross Island there is a lighthouse visible for 19 m.
To avoid confusion, the name of Port Blair was given to the new settlement, which was established in the beginning of 1858.
In the same year the two groups, Andaman and Nicobar, the occupation of the latter also having been forced on the British government (in 1869) by the continuance of outrage upon vessels, were united under a chief commissioner residing at Port Blair.
