68 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



abroad"; that "one of the most important requirements is 

 the taking of magnetic observations, as it is known that a con- 

 siderable change has occurred in the magnetism of the earth 

 during the last fifty years, and the exact position of the south 

 magnetic pole is hardly even approximately ascertained." 

 " Other objects of an antarctic expedition v^ould be deep-sea 

 soundings, the temperature of the ocean at all depths, dredg- 

 ings, the study of the character and distribution of marine 

 organisms, meteorology, and pendulum observations, if con- 

 sidered necessary ; to explore the land as far as possible ; to 

 determine the limits of freezing in antarctic regions in the 

 summer, and the direction of winds and currents, and the 

 consequent formation and movements of the pack ice." 



They observed that our knowledge is still very incomplete 

 of the antarctic winds and currents. South of 40° S. there is 

 very low atmospheric pressure, with strong westerly winds 

 and a large rainfall and snowfall, all round the globe. Such 

 observations as we possess show that the winds in higher 

 southern latitudes are, on the contrary, generally from the 

 south and south-east, and the surface-currents are in the 

 same-direction, so that in the summer the pack and the bergs 

 are continually drifted northwards. They showed the immense 

 advantages which steamers would have over sailing-vessels in 

 these investigations, and gave their opinion that the operations 

 should be carried out by the Eoyal Navy in two vessels as 

 well strengthened as were the " Erebus " and " Terror," fitted 

 with steam-power, and specially protected aft to guard the 

 rudder and jDropeller. 



The Eoyal Society, to whom the subject was referred, also 

 appointed a special Antarctic Committee, who reported 

 strongly in favour of an exploring expedition. 



With regard to pendulum experiments, which were recom- 

 mended (with reserve) by the Royal Geographical Society, but 

 not directly alluded to by the Eoyal Society, it is to be 

 observed that they were recommended by Dr. Murray ; and in 

 an appendix to his paper appears a communicatioii from Dr. 

 Neumayer, of the Hamburg Naval Observatory, who, after 

 showing how exceedingly important are an examination and a 

 survey of the magnetic properties of the antarctic region, goes 

 on to note that the determination of the constant of gravity 

 has never been carried out in that region, and but a very small 

 number of determinations have been made even in the Southern 

 Hemisphere south of lat. 33°. He gives a table containing all 

 that is known with respect to this important question within 

 the assigned region. To this table I have added the value of 

 gravity corresponding with the lengths of the seconds-pendu- 

 lum, as given in his table, and a few comparative values in the 

 Northern Hemisphere : — 



