172 REPORTS OF INVESTIGATIONS AND PROJECTS. 



Egypt, Turkey, Russia, and Persia. — During the latter part of February 

 Mr. J. C. Pearson, magnetic observer, sailed from New York for magnetic 

 work in Turkey, Eg)^pt, Russia, and Persia. En route he made extensive 

 comparisons between his outfit and the standards of the Kew Magnetic 

 Observatory of the National Physical Laboratory at Richmond, Surrey, 

 England. His results have given further confirmation to the general correct- 

 ness of the provisionally selected International Magnetic Standard adopted 

 by the Department (see Journal of Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric 

 Electricity, vol. xii. No. 4, pp. 161-165). 



Upon arrival in Turkey, Mr. Pearson, with the permission of the Turkish 

 Government, made magnetic observations in the vicinity of Constantinople 

 at Rumeli Hissar, in the grounds of Robert College, on the European shore 

 of the Bosphorus, and proceeded thence to Egypt. Here another valuable 

 observatory comparison was obtained, viz, near Cairo, at the Helwan Obser- 

 vatory of the Survey Department of the Ministry of Finance of Egypt. He 

 also secured valuable data for secular variation purposes at Port Said, Suez, 

 and Alexandria. 



Mr, Pearson returned again to Constantinople and set out for the work in 

 Persia, via Tiflis, Russia. En route through Russia observations were made 

 at Batum, a secular variation station, another observatory comparison was 

 secured this time at the Tifiis Magnetic Observatory, situated at Karsani, 

 near Mtskhet, Caucasus, and further observations were made at Alexan- 

 dropol, Erivan, and Nakhitchevan. Every courtesy was shown him by the 

 officials in charge of the observatories at Helwan, Egypt, and Tiflis, Russia. 



Provided with the necessary credentials by the representatives of the 

 Persian Government at Washington and Constantinople, and furnished by 

 the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs at Tiflis with special letters to the 

 various Russian representatives in Persia, he entered that country, via the 

 northern frontier, and made observations at Khoi and at Tabriz. At the 

 latter place he was detained by the revolutionary troubles from July 8 to 

 August 18. Conditions having somewhat improved, he secured the necessary 

 caravan outfit and set out on August 18 for Teheran, where he arrived 

 October 5, securing magnetic results at 4 stations en route. From Teheran 

 the work is being extended southward. 



Through the kind offices of the American ambassador at Constantinople, 

 Mr. Pearson secured the services, as interpreter and assistant, of Mr. Dimiter 

 V. Pehlivanoglou, who speaks English, French, Spanish, Greek, and Turk- 

 ish, and who has some knowledge of Arabic and Persian. Mr. Pearson de- 

 serves no little credit for the manner in which he has conducted the important 

 and difficult work entrusted to him. Most valuable assistance was rendered 

 him by the American consul at Tabriz, Mr. Doty. 



