EXTRACTS FROM FIELD REPORTS. 



The following extracts from the observers' field reports will give some idea of the 

 conditions under which the work was done and will help in showing the scope and 

 varied operations of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. 



J. A. Fleming, on Magnetic Work in Central America, March to June, 1907. 



In accordance with instructions, the work was begun at Belize, Honduras, on March 4, 1907, 

 the instrumental outfit being the same as used by Observer Ault in Mexico during December, 

 1906, to February, 1907. The stations occupied were as follows: 



1. Belize, British Honduras. 



2. Punta Gorda, British Honduras. 



3. New Haven, British Honduras. 



4. Puerto Cortez, Honduras. 



5. La Ceiba, Honduras. '' 



6. Zacapa, Guatemala. 



7. Guatemala City, Guatemala. 



8. Salama, Guatemala. 



9. Tactic, Guatemala. 



10. Coban, Guatemala. 



11. Cabulco, Guatemala. 



12. Chiche, Guatemala. 



13. Huehuetenango, Guatemala. 



14. San Marcos, Guatemala. 



15. San Felipe, Guatemala. 



16. Champerico (Chapan), Guatemala. 



17. San Jose, Guatemala. 



18. Flamenco Island, Panama. 



19. Colon Harbor, Panama. 



20. Bocas del Toro, Panama. 



21. Uvita Island, Costa Rica. 



22. San Jose, Costa Rica. 



23. Sarchi, Costa Rica. 



24. Koschny (San Carlos), Costa Rica. 



25. Puntarenas, Costa Rica. 



26. Ballena, Costa Rica. 



27. Punta Dominical, Costa Rica. 



28. Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. 



29. David, Panama. 



30. Barranca Colorado, Panama. 



31. Cristobal, Canal Zone. 



Of these, station No. i is practically a reoccupation of that of 1879, station No. 18 of that of 1866 

 and No. 31 of that of 1905. Station No. 16 is about 0.8 mile northwest of the station of 1880. 



Unfortunately the progress of the work was greatly retarded by the war at the time between 

 the Republics of Nicaragua and Honduras. While this disturbance was nominally confined to 

 the two countries mentioned, it involved also Salvador and produced much unrest even in Gua- 

 temala. The work in Guatemala was executed without delay other than that caused by extremely 

 poor traveling conditions; many of the stations could only be reached by poor and indifferent moun- 

 tain roads and trails on which, with pack mules, not more than 30 miles could be made in a 12-hour 

 day while tlie trails were too poorly marked to attempt travel by night. Owing to the conditions 

 in Salvador and Nicaragua, resulting from the war, I proceeded from San Jose, Guatemala, directly 

 to Ancon, Canal Zone. As an example of the traveling conditions at the time in Central America, 

 it may be noted that this connection was made only after a week's wait after scheduled time of 

 steamer, and on the first steamer in six weeks. From Panama, I crossed the Isthmus to Colon 

 and went thence along the Atlantic Coast to Costa Rica, where the advance of the rainy season 

 was already putting the roads in bad condition. Crossing to the Pacific Coast, the trip was 

 continued, by a small sail-boat, from Puntarenas along the coast of Costa Rica into Panama 

 at David, whence a bi-weekly steamer service enabled me to complete the Panama work via 

 Panama City and Colon. I returned to Washington from Colon via New York, on June 28. 



The occupation of the 31 stations listed above consumed, inclusive of all travel, 125 days, 

 or at the rate of one station every 4 days. The time consumed in travel to and from the field 

 and the delays experienced in the field by reason of accident to gasoline launch at Belize, at 

 Bocas del Toro, and irregular steamship connections easily amounted to 1V2 days per station. 

 Of the 31 stations, 11 could be reached only by mule travel, 10 by small ocean sailing-boats, and 

 but 10 by railroad or steamship. 



The preliminary reductions made in the field indicated that the magnetic conditions are more 

 or less disturbed for much of the area covered. Information regarding other disturbed areas in 

 the interior of Honduras and of Nicaragua was received from several engineers. 



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