DEPARTMENT OF TERRESTRIAL MAGNETISM * 



L. A. Bauer, Director. 



The fact of chief importance in the operations of the Department during 

 the past fiscal year is, of course, the completion of a vessel, the Carnegie, 

 wholly designed with the special needs for a magnetic survey of the oceans in 

 view. The vessel was launched on June 12 and went into commission on 

 August 21, her first work being in the North Atlantic Ocean. 



Excellent progress has been made by all the field parties, the work executed 

 being in the following countries: British North America, Central North 

 America, West Indies, Colombia, Ecuador, British, Dutch, and French 

 Guiana, Africa, Persia, Turkey, Asia Minor, southern Asiatic Russia, and 

 China. In every instance the operations were conducted in regions not 

 easily traversed and in general where either no or but very few magnetic 

 data had been obtained previously. Special expeditions had consequently to 

 be organized and, as will be seen from the detailed reports farther on, they 

 terminated successfully in each case. Besides magnetic data, other informa- 

 tion of a geographic nature has resulted. 



In the ofiice at Washington, the reduction of the observations has kept pace 

 with the field-work. However, owing largely to the construction of the 

 Carnegie and of her instrumental equipment, it was not possible to complete 

 the report of the Galilee work in the Pacific Ocean (1905-08), as had been 

 hoped, but good progress has been made, and the results will soon be ready 

 for publication. The necessity of further examination of instrumental con- 

 stants and corrections likewise caused a temporary suspension of the Galilee 

 reductions until the corrections were well controlled. Some special investi- 

 gations, described later, were undertaken. 



SYNOPSIS OF MAGNETIC WORK DURING THE YEAR NOVEMBER 1, 1908, 



TO OCTOBER 31, 1909. 



LAND WORK. 



Africa. — As stated in last year's report, the magnetic work in Africa has 

 been intrusted to Dr. J. C. Beattie, Research Associate, who is assisted by 

 Prof. J. T. Morrison, Magnetic Observer. Between November i, 1908, and 

 May 10, 1909, 40 stations were occupied in Cape Colony and 65 in German 

 Southwest Africa. The party next proceeded from Broken Hill, Rhodesia, 

 to Abercorn, on Lake Tanganyika, via Fort Rosebery. Tabora was reached 

 on August 15, 92 stations being occupied en route. From Tabora Dr. Beattie 

 expected to proceed to Entebbe, on Lake Victoria Nyanza, and thence to 



* Address : The Ontario, Washington, District of Columbia. Grant No. 544. $135,000 

 for investigation and maintenance, and construction of vessel. (For previous reports 

 see Year Books Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.) 



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