102 Land Magnetic Observations, 1905-10 



planned also, should time permit, to make observations in German Southwest Africa. The original 

 proposal was modified later, so as to include a second observer, with the idea of having two field 

 parties. The Carnegie Institution of Washington, through its Department of Terrestrial Mag- 

 netism, provided a sum of $10,163 for the work and the expense in excess of this necessary 

 for a second observer was defrayed by a grant of 250 from the London Royal Society 

 and by Sir L. Starr Jameson and Sir Lewis Michell, who gave 100 for part of the work in 

 Rhodesia; grateful acknowledgment is here made for these generous contributions toward the 

 expense of the work. 



The instruments used were the same as in the earlier work in South Africa and comprised the 

 following: 5-inch theodolite and magnetometer No. 73, lent by the London Royal Society; dip 

 circle No. 9 and magnetometer No. 31, belonging to the Royal Observatory of the Cape of Good 

 Hope; a 6-inch theodolite, furnished by the South African College; two pocket chronometers, 

 from the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism; and dip circle No. 142 and a box chronometer, 

 contributed by the writer. Observations were made for determining the latitude, longitude, 

 and the three magnetic elements: the declination, the dip, and the horizontal intensity; the 

 methods employed were substantially the same as those described in the report on the previous 

 work in South Africa and the degree of accuracy obtained of the same order as in the earlier 

 observations. 



The work was begun at the end of November, 1908, when Beattie started from Ceres Road 

 in the Cape Province for Windhoek in German Southwest Africa. This journey' lasted four 

 months. From Ceres Road to O'okiep the journey was made by ox wagon, through a region 

 sufTering at the time from drought. At O'okiep, where observations were taken by Beattie at 

 the end of December, 1908, and beginning of January, 1909, and by Morrison in March, 1909, 

 the magnetic elements had been previously determined in 1874 by Stone; in the course of this 

 part of the journey a station which had previously been occupied by Beattie in January, 1907, 

 was reoccupied in December, 1910. From O'okiep a short journey by mule wagon was made to 

 Pella and then down the Orange River to Rahman's Drift and Henkriesfontein, and finally back 

 to O'okiep; this part of the journey was through a region dry and sandy but healthy and in- 

 vigorating despite the heat. On January 18 the journey was continued by mule wagon from 

 O'okiep to Rahman's Drift; the Orange River at the time in flood was crossed there and the 

 further journey made by ox wagon to Holoog, the then terminus of the railway from Luderitz- 

 bucht inland. From Holoog the journey was continued by rail to Keetmanshoop and Luderitz- 

 bucht. During this part of the journey the rain set in, entailing now and then loss of time by 

 v/ashaways in the line. The last part of the journey from Keetmanshoop to Windhoek was again 

 by ox wagon; the rainy season had begun in earnest by this time, the grass began to spring up, 

 bringing in its train numerous mosquitoes and making traveling difficult. Windhoek was reached 

 at the end of March, when Beattie returned to Cape Town by sea. 



Early in May the observers left Broken Hill, the then terminus of the Beira and Mashonaland 

 railways, for Abercorn via Fort Rosebery. From Broken Hill the only means of transport was 

 by porters; one set of instruments was carried from there more than 2,000 miles, the other over 

 1,400, the whole distance being accomplished without mishap to any of the instruments. In 

 addition to the two observers the caravan consisted of about fifty natives; fortunately the time 

 of year was very suitable for traveling, the rainy season was over, and there was no difficulty 

 in obtaining food and water for the carriers; it was possible to march on the average about 15 to 

 18 miles per day. The march began at sunrise and continued usually until a little before noon; 

 camp was then pitched and observations were made in the afternoon. The only inconvenience 

 arose from tsetse flies, mosquitoes fortunately being absent; the altitude is sufficient in this region 

 to give delightfully cool evenings. The journey took the observers through Northwestern 

 Rhodesia, the Belgian Congo, and Northeastern Rhodesia to Abercorn, near the south end of 

 Lake Tanganyika. The earlier part of the route intersected that of Capello and Ivens referred 

 to earlier; in the latter part, the observations were made in a region to the south of the places 

 occupied by Lemaire in his 1898-1900 survey. 



At Abercorn the observers separated, Beattie continuing his journey into German East 

 Africa. Some delay was occasioned by the lack of supplies at Abercorn, but in the end the 



'For a fuller account of part of this journey see Pearson, "The Travels of a Botanist in Southwest Africa," 

 Geographical Jomnal, p. 481, London, 1910. 



