ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON GEOGRAPHY 73 



Printing would be no small item ; and discussion of results would 

 be an important charge. At present, it may not be possible to secure 

 just the right men for such an investigation ; but if any such should 

 offer themselves, I should favor their being well supported. 



D. Investigation of the upper atmosphere by kites and balloons, 

 kites preferred. While this kind of work is not likely to be for the 

 present immediately useful in weather prediction, the study of the 

 processes of the upper atmosphere is essential to reaching a full un- 

 derstanding of meteorological phenomena, and should be warmly 

 encouraged. The Carnegie Institution might advisedly support the 

 work of two qualified observers, providing them with an outfit of 

 kites, instruments, etc., and allowing them to move from station to 

 station, spending a year or more at each place. I urge that Mr. A. 

 Lawrence Rotch, Blue Hill, Mass., as well as the Chief of the 

 Weather Bureau, be consulted on this work. 



E. Kite-flying from mountain tops deserves mention apart, as it 

 would provide information concerning unexplored atmospheric re- 

 gions. Work of this kind in connection with the Harvard Observa- 

 tory at Arequipa, Peru, would be particularly interesting. 



F. Since the publication of Ferrel's works there has been little 

 mathematical or physical study of meteorological phenomena in this 

 country. It is very desirable to enlist the interest of competent 

 mathematicians and physicists in such work, and if anj' promising 

 investigator comes forward he should be encouraged. 



The Ocean. — Charting and sounding may well be left to govern- 

 mental expeditions. Tides are also well cared for, being of such 

 practical importance that they command abundant support ; but the 

 Carnegie Institution might offer aid in supplying special instruments 

 to exploring parties ; for example, sounding apparatus to some 

 yachtsman who should undertake minute soundings of the sub- 

 merged channels off our Atlantic and Pacific coasts — a very inter- 

 esting and little-studied field. The actual movement of deep ocean 

 waters should be determined, and ingenious instruments might be 

 constructed for this purpose. Such studies well deserve aid. 



The Lands.— r^. The expenses of exploring expeditions had best 

 be left, as a rule, to governmental and individual funds. There is 

 no region, except one, whose exploration promises to produce new 

 classes of facts of sufficient importance to call for large support ; but 

 it would be well to offer aid to well-trained explorers by supplying 

 them with instruments, after the fashion of the Royal Geographical 

 Society. Sextants, barometers, thermometers, plane tables, cam- 



