Trans. N. V. Ac. Set. 94 Jan. i6, 



danger of a confusion of chronology to arise from a mistake of an en- 

 tire day in a date. But at the present time, and since civiHzation has 

 encircled the entire globe, it is a fact that there are certain hours in 

 every twenty-four, during which, for one entire half of the habitable 

 world the date is a unit more advanced in the monthly calendar than 

 in the other. The change of count must have a beginning somewhere. 

 In the absence of any distinct convention on the subject, it is generally 

 understood that this change begins somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. 

 It happens, therefore, that at the moment when the sun is on the merid- 

 ian opposed to that of Greenwich, the date for all Asia and all Conti- 

 nental Europe may be, for example, the first of January before noon, 

 while for the entire American Continent it is still the thirty-first of De- 

 cember. On the other hand, when, twelve hours later, the sun is on 

 Greenwich meridian, the date will be the first of January for all the 

 world, but will be afternoon for Asia and Europe and forenoon for 

 America. At present the change of count, as above observed, is sup- 

 posed to begin in the Pacific Ocean, But if we are to be exact, it ought 

 to begin at some certainly defined meridian ; and the present proposi- 

 tion is to make it begin at the meridian distant twelve hours from 

 Greenwich. 



The time determined by the proposed zero meridian is, according to 

 a suggestion of Mr. Fleming adopted in the resolution, to be distin- 

 guished as cosmopolitan time, and might equally be called universal or 

 absolute time. Any observation made in cosmopolitan time will be 

 fixed with absolute certainty both in the chronological sequence and in 

 the hours of the day, and it can easily be converted, by the addition or 

 subtraction of an even number of hours, into the particular time of each 

 standard meridian. IVfr. Fleming proposes, also, that the hours of this 

 universal time shall be distinguished by symbols or letters rather than 

 by numbers. The value of this suggestion consists in the fact that by 

 means of it the danger will be averted of ever confounding cosmopoli- 

 tan time with that of any other except the prime meridian." '* 



Delegates from the American Metrological Society and from the 

 Canadian Institute, were sent to the International Geographical Con- 

 gress held at Venice in September, 1881. These delegates laid before 

 that Congress the above proposed International time-system. Group i, 

 to which the resolutions were referred, reported as follows : " The 

 Group I considers and emits the vote that within a year an International 

 Commission should be appointed by the Governments to consider the 

 question of an Initial Mt-ridian, having in view not only the question of 

 longitude, but especially that of hours and dates. The Commission 

 should be composed of scientific men such as geodesists, geographers, 

 and men who represent the interests of commerce, etc. Three mem- 



