Observers' Field Reports 175 



I. On January 20, 1915, I left Sydney for New Caledonia, arriving at Noumea 

 January 25, with instrumental outfit consisting of universal magnetometer No. 14, 

 pocket chronometer No. 258, and miscellaneous accessories. I was most courteously 

 received by the Governor-General, who offered me all necessary assistance and gave me 

 permission to make observations in any part of the islands. After making a short trip 

 along the west coast of New Caledonia to Bourail and Paagoumene, and finding that the 

 steamer Pacifique by which I hoped to reach Fila in the New Hebrides had been delayed 

 so that I could not expect to catch the English boat north at the latter point, I took 

 advantage of the opportunity to visit Walpole Island in a steamer chartered by the 

 Austral Guano Company of Melbourne. This was made possible through the kind 

 invitation of Captain Cousins, Island Manager of the Company, who is keenly inter- 

 ested in the practical assistance to navigation given by magnetic surveys. Walpole 

 Island is uninhabited and extremely rugged, and as the only means of landing (see view 

 1 of Plate 7) was by scaling an overhanging rock from an open boat, the landing of a 

 heavy cargo from practically open sea was difficult and slow. I made observations at 

 convenient times during the steamer's stay and returned to Noumea on February 10. 



An opportunity to visit a few points among the Loyalty Islands was afforded by the 

 sailing of the three-masted schooner Trois Isles from Noumea February 12. The 

 schooner touched at Lifu and proceeded to Uvea where I left it and awaited the steamer 

 Saint Pierre which picked me up and took me back to Noumea after giving a further 

 opportunity to make observations at Lifu, and calling at Mare" Island where sufficient 

 time was allowed during the stop for a complete magnetic program. In general the 

 length of time allowed during the call of a cargo vessel at the smaller ports is insufficient 

 for satisfactory work, and unless a long delay between stations is warranted, an abbre- 

 viated program must be adopted. In returning by way of Lifu the second opportunity 

 made it possible to secure observations of all the elements at that point. 



Arriving at Noumea, I found the Pacifique at her wharf on her way to Fila, Sand- 

 wich Island, in the New Hebrides, and I therefore went aboard and left Noumea finally 

 the next day, February 21. After calling briefly at Fila and at Diamond Bay, the Paci- 

 fique was caught in a gale which developed into a hurricane, and after battling against it 

 for 18 hours was forced to put into Port Sandwich for shelter. While making use of a 

 short interval here to get a few incomplete observations, I was agreeably surprised to 

 see the English boat, the Makambo, which I supposed I had missed, put into the harbor, 

 likewise seeking shelter. I therefore immediately transshipped to the Makambo and 

 took passage with her to Sydney by way of Banks Islands, Fila, Norfolk, and Lord Howe 

 Island. As the vessel was already nearly 5 days behind her schedule, the captain was 

 anxious to make up as much of the time as possible, and it was evident that in view of the 

 short stoppages at each trading station, complete or even half-sets of observations would 

 be out of the question, so I decided that the only way in which I could secure the neces- 

 sary distribution over the area covered was to confine my attention at each station to 

 a single element, taking them in turn so that a complete determination would be secured 

 in as small an area as possible. Every opportunity was used to secure whatever was 

 possible, having in mind the volcanic nature of the islands and the consequent possibility 

 of local disturbance. The landings were made in every case by small boats often through 

 treacherous surf, and many times I got ashore only to find that the shipping of the copra 

 would take only a few minutes, leaving no time for any sort of observations. The 

 captain and his officers were ready to afford me every possible assistance, and but for 

 the necessity of making up his time already lost, would readily have given me greater 

 opportunity for my work. In only one case did I have opportunity to make a complete 

 set of observations, that being at Aoba Island, where the steamer left me in the morn- 

 ing and called again that evening after visiting another station. 



