310 



m<agnetic observations at sea, there being no specially constructed non-magnetic area, as in the case of the- 

 " Gauss " and the " Discovery." Besides this, the heavy trawling and other gear made it almost impossible 

 that this should be the case. Further, it was foreseen at the outset that even if it had been possiljle to 

 have a non-magnetic area, to carry on deep-sea work and magnetism was incompatible. Our magnetic 

 equipment was accordingly restricted to a portable Magnetometer of the Kcw pattern, made by the 

 Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company, and a Barrow Dip Circle No. 24, kindly lent by the National 

 Physical Laboratory. This circle was fitted with Lloyd needles for the taking of the Total Force, but at 

 a very early stage the axle of the Statical needle was injured, putting a stop to further ol)servations. No 

 Variometers or systems of self-recording instruments were taken, as it was thought very uidikely that 

 suitable winter quarters would be found in the far south. In July, 1902, (not having had any previous 

 training in magnetic observations) 1 attended the usual three weeks' cour.se of instruction at Kew 

 Observatory, and in Septemlier, through the kindness of the late Professor Copeland, Astronomer Royal 

 for Scotland, engaged in a few days' practice at the Royal Oliservatory, Edinburgh. 



At Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, enough wood and copper nails were taken for the construction of a 

 small hut, in the event of a wintering .station being established. The " Scotia " left Port Stanley on 

 January 26, 1903, and after a cruise of 5364 miles, of which 4400 were in entirely unexplored seas, 

 anchored in Scotia Bay, Laurie Island, South Orkneys, on March 25. 



Immediately after our arrival a site was picked out for a house, meteorological station and the magnetic 

 hut. The position selected was on a narrow beach, about 300 yards across, that here divides the north 

 from the south side of the island, the distance from the ship being about 500 yards. On the 30th a 

 temporary tent was rigged up foi' the taking of some preliminary magnetic ol>servations, and on this site 

 the hut was ei'ected, and was named Copeland Observatory. The dimensions of the hut were 7 feet long 

 and 5 feet broad, while the height of the roof varied from 6 feet 6 inches to 7 feet. It was entirely 

 covered with canvas and painted, and was suf)ported for half its height by a wall composed of stones 

 without mortar. The door was situateil on the north side, and there were two windows, one towards the 

 east, the other, for viewing the distant mark, facing south. These windows were protected by sliding 

 shutters on the outside. 



The " distant mark," to which the declination ol)servations were referred, was situated 300 j-ards south 

 of the hut, and was a portion of the rocky face at the base of " Church Hill." It was painted red, \\-itb a 

 white bull's-eye, but owing to the frequency with which it became snowed up, and the labour involved in 

 digging it out, a stout post, about 8 feet high, was firmly fixed in position and used during the greater 

 part of the winter. In order to guard against the possibility of this post shifting, an occasional check 

 observation was taken on a fine day, outside the hut, the equivalent of a mark being obtained liy observing 

 a sun transit. 



There was no concrete pillar ftn' the instruments, which were placed on a lirass triangle supported by a 

 wooden tripod. Owing to the small size of the hut, it was necessary to change the position of the tripod 

 so as to be able to make the \-arious obser^■ations. Thus there was one position for the dip, another for 

 the deflection seiies, and a third for the vibration and declination. The legs of the tripod, in the case of 

 the dip observations, fitted into wooden V's screwed into the floor of the hut. In the other observations 

 two of the three legs were kept in position l)y V's, while the place for the third, which rested against the side 

 of the hut, was indicated by an arrow marked immediately in front of it (see Plate 2, fig. 2). In the 

 declination observations the same leg of the tripod always pointed to the south. In the dip series the bar 

 magnets were placed on the snow about 30 feet north of the hut. As far as possible all knives, keys, and 

 other articles liable to invalidate the obser\-atioiis were removed from the hut. The chi-onometer, by 

 Hughes, was always kept in the hut, and its rate, which was remarkably steady, was checked as often as 

 possible by the method of " equal altitudes." The structure was heated by a small copper lamp, which was, 

 however, not very effective, the temperature in winter rarely rising to zero Centigrade. In the taking of 

 the observations the lamp was usually lit from one to two hours before the series were commenced, and 

 the magnets, dip needles and chronometer freely exposed, so that they might have time to get into thermic 

 equililirium with their surroundings before beginning the observations. During the first month or two 

 little was done, the observations being prosecuted under many difficulties. A good deal of trottble was 



