156 Land Magnetic Observations, 1914-20 



Sower's station of 1909 was reoccupied, December 22. Leaving Sianfu December 28, 

 the party continued with pack mules, west and south to Kwangyiian in Szechwan 

 thence to Lunganfu via Pikow in Kansu. From Lunganfu the mules were sent south- 

 ward toward Chengtu, while the observer, with instruments carried by men, crossed the 

 Siiehshan Pass (13,138 feet) to Sungpan, and thence followed the Min River to Kwan- 

 hsien. This route is practically along the Tibetan border, although considerable terri- 

 tory west of the river is now regarded by the Chinese as politically within Szechwan 

 Province. 



Chengtu was reached March 2, 1916. On March 13 the party started southwest 

 for Yachowfu and thence came generally eastward to Chungking on the Yangtze River 

 which was reached April 8, 1916. In the course of this journey observations were made 

 on the summit of Mount Omei (10,000 feet), which apparently exhibited a marked local 

 magnetic disturbance. 



At Chungking the mules were released as further travel was to be by boat. The 

 American Consul at Chungking, the late C. P. McKiernan, most courteously entertained 

 the party and was very useful in helping the expedition forward. April 13, 1916, the 

 party left Chungking by houseboat, and descended the Yangtze to Ichang, which was 

 reached April 25. From Ichang we proceeded to Hankow by steamer, observing en 

 route at Shansi and Yochow. After reoccupying my former station at Hankow, I left 

 on May 9 by steamer for Canton, attending to computation and correspondence as I 

 traveled. After 10 days at Canton devoted to affairs of the Canton Christian College, 

 I returned direct to Peking to meet Mr. Brown and arrange for future work. 



During the campaign thus briefly reviewed, 79 stations were occupied, two of them 

 being repeat stations, rather evenly spaced along a crooked line which stretches com- 

 pletely across China from the Mongolian border on the northeast to the Tibetan border 

 on the southwest and thence down the Yangtze to the approximate center of China. 

 Of these, 40 (counting Peking only once) were occupied during the last five months of 

 1915 and 39 during the first five months of 1916. The distribution of these is as follows: 

 21 in Chihli (7 in Inner Mongolia), 5 in Shansi, 14 in Shensi (4 on southern border 

 of the Ordos), during 1915; and during 1916, 7 in Shensi, 1 in Kansu, 26 in Szechwan 

 (6 along the Tibetan border), 4 in Hupeh, 1 in Hunan (the last 10 along the upper 

 Yangtze Kiang). 



Extended series of observations of magnetic declination were made on the first 

 and fifteenth of each month, except on February 15 and March 1, 1916, when the dis- 

 turbed condition of the country made it wisest not to delay, and on May 1, 1916, when 

 heavy rains prevailed. During most of this period the country was in a disturbed state, 

 especially the provinces of Shensi and Szechwan, and travel was rather difficult. The 

 officials everywhere did what they could to afford protection, and although threatened 

 several times and once actually overcome by brigands, the party came through without 

 any really serious mishaps. 



The second major division of the 1916 campaign in China may be said to begin with 

 my meeting Mr. Brown in Peking on June 8 and arranging the program for the rest of 

 the year so far as the uncertain political conditions permitted. Our original plans for 

 an extensive survey in northwest Mongolia had to be indefinitely postponed because of 

 failure to secure from the Russian Government permission to traverse portions of Siberia 

 in reaching and leaving the desired field. Consequently, it was decided that Mr. Brown 

 should devote July, August, and September 1916 to observing throughout Manchuria 

 at points on the various railway fines, while I should, in the same interval, traverse 

 northern Shansi westward from Tatungfu to Hokow on the Yellow River, and descend 

 the latter to Tungk wanting, thence travel overland southward to the basin of the Han 

 River, and finally descend the latter to Hankow. 



