Observers' Field Reports 95 



C. K. Edmunds, on Magnetic Work in China, Indo-China, and Siam, 1906 to 1913. 



The general magnetic survey of China, begun in 1906, has been conducted by me in 

 accordance with the Director's initial instructions of November 11, 1905, and in cooperation 

 with the Hongkong and Zikawei magnetic observatories, which have been used as base- 

 stations throughout the work. Preliminary plans for the survey were discussed with 

 Dr. W. S. Doberck, at the time director of the Hongkong Observatory, and with Reverend 

 J. de Moidrey, S. J., in charge of the magnetic division of the Zikawei Observatory. 



The survey could not be carried on continuously throughout each year, but only as 

 my duties with the Christian College at Honglok, Canton, permitted, namely, during vaca- 

 tions and furloughs generously granted by the Trustees of the College. The salary of the 

 observer, when on duty, and all field expenses have been provided by the Department of 

 Terrestrial Magnetism. However, at times special facilities and free transportation of the 

 party were furnished by officials and others; such courtesies and assistance will be found 

 duly acknowledged in the appropriate places in this report. 



The work accomplished up to the end of 1913 falls into two parts, corresponding to my 

 two sojourns in China. The first period of active field work was from January 1906 to 

 December 1908, and the second, from December 1910 to March 1912. During 1913 I was, 

 for the greater part, absent from China in connection with the affairs of the Canton Chris- 

 tian College. No magnetic work could hence be undertaken in 1913. 



No account will be found in this report of the magnetic exploration trip conducted 

 across China, from Peking to the western borders, in 1909, by Observer D. C. Sowers. 

 This expedition was one apart from my own special work and has already been reported 

 upon in Vol. I, pp. 117-118. 



The work in each period has naturally been divided into expeditions beginning and 

 ending at Canton, my permanent headquarters throughout. In the first period these 

 trips were: 



I. Januarj- and February 1906, around the island of Hainan; 

 II. June to October 1906, along the central coast, from Hongkong to Shanghai, including the lower valley of 

 the Yangtse; 



III. January and February 1907, the southern coast, below Canton; 



IV. August to December 1907, the northern coast, above Shanghai, and overland from Newchwang, in 



Manchuria, to Canton, via Peking, Taiyuanfu, Hankow, Changsha, and Kweilin; 

 V. September to December 1908, westward across Shantung and southward on the Grand Canal to the 

 Yangtse. 



In the second period the field expeditions were: 



VI. July to September 1911, overland from Canton to the valley of the Yangtse; 



VII. October 1911 to March 1912, along the south coast and in Yunnan Province, French Indo-China, and 

 Siam. 



Between the various expeditions as listed, considerable time was devoted at Canton 

 to the computation of results and to the development of plans and arrangements for the 

 next expedition, and in Hongkong and Zikawei (Lukiapang) to the comparison of instru- 

 ments. During the sojourn in America, between my two periods in China, one month 

 (September 1910) was spent in Washington comparing the new instruments with the 

 Department standards. 



.\lthough Canton has been my headquarters throughout and a certain amount of travel, 

 from Canton and back to Canton, was necessar>' in the case of each expedition, I have not, 

 in determining the average of travel per station, included this with the more local travel 

 in the actual region under observation, although practically every transit through Hong- 

 kong and Shanghai was utilized for making comparison observations with the Hongkong 

 and Zikawei observatories. 



The total number of distinct stations thus far occupied is 116, comprising 80 in China, 

 27 in French Indo-China, and 9 in Siam. The total travel, not counting the 2 round trips 



