280 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



inches, on an iron stand, and with a circle 6 inches in diameter, read- 

 ing to 1', and with a collection of books on various departments of 

 science : an astronomical clock was also ordered of Mr. Dent, but it 

 was not ready to be sent by the same vessel which conveyed the in- 

 struments. Owing to the exertions of Dr. Lee, other fellows of this 

 Society were induced to contribute books, and the nucleus of a good 

 library was thus formed. Mr, Crowe took with him from England 

 two minimum thermometers with the intention of placing one on the 

 top of Storvandsfield, the highest mountain in the neighbourhood of 

 Alten, and the other on the highest point of the southern extremity 

 of Spitzbergen ; but he arrived too late to carry the latter part of 

 his plan into effect. The difficulties of the ascent of Storvandsfield 

 are thus described by Mr. Crowe : — 



" The ascent of Storvandsfield was very difficult ; so much fresh 

 snow had fallen as to impede even the snow-shoes, which the party 

 were obliged to use. The task, however, was accomplished, and the 

 thermometer safely fixed on the highest point. It was just in time, 

 as one of those sudden gales of wind sprang up, peculiar to high 

 mountain regions, driving and whirling the snow before. For hours 

 the party were exposed to considerable danger, and by the time it 

 did lull, Mr. Grieve, who had volunteered to superintend the task, 

 was so knocked up as to be unable to proceed, and the guides had 

 to carry him ; fortunately, a shelter of loose stones, erected by the 

 nomadian Laplanders, was reached, where they deposited him, while 

 one of the guides descended for further assistance. HappUy, the 

 cold was not intense, so that a warm bed and rest perfectly recovered 

 him." 



Alten is in north latitude 69° 38', and in longitude 23° 43' east, 

 and thus by its geographical situation, highly important for certain 

 classes of observations, being the most northern place in the world 

 at which an observatory is established. The following observations 

 have been uninterruptedly carried on, viz. — 



Of the barometer ; the thermometer (with the maximum and 

 minimum temperatures) ; the pluviometer*; the galvanometer ; de- 

 clination magnetometer; land winds and approximate force; of 

 clouds, their direction, approximate velocity, and general descrip- 

 tion ; and of the aurora borealis. 



I 



XXXVIII. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



To Richard Phillips, Esq. 

 Deak Sir, 

 HAVE received from my brother, at Boston, U. S., some minera- 

 logical notices, recently read before the Boston Natural History 



[* A Report by Major Sabine and Lieut.-Col. Sykes on Mr. Thomas's 

 Meteorological Observations made at Alten, from 1837 to 1839, will be 

 found in Phil. Mag. S. 3. vol. xvii. p. 295. In this report the latitude of 

 Alten is stated to be 69" 58' 3" N., being 20' 3" higher than as given above. 

 Edit.] 



