de:partment of terrestriai, magnetism. i6i 



with a new outfit of instruments from the office, he made careful inter- 

 comparisons between this outfit and those used in the previous work, cour- 

 teously loaned him by the observatories at Zi-ka-wei and Hongkong. 



Alention should again be made of the effective and generous assistance ren- 

 dered Dr. Edmunds by the directors of these observatories. Upon Father 

 J. de Aloidrey, S. J., Director of the Zi-ka-wei Observatory, had fallen 

 the chief burden of the cooperative work, especially also because of the 

 necessary instrumental determinations and comparisons required during the 

 visit of the Galilee, as elsewhere mentioned. The Department is not a little 

 indebted to him for his kind thoughtfulness and solicitous care. It is 

 expected that by October Dr. Edmunds will have completed the magnetic 

 observations at about 26 stations in the provinces of Kiangsi, Kiangsu, 

 Shantung, Chihli, Shengking, Honan, and Hupeh. By the end of 1907, 

 provided no unexpected delay is encountered, a fairly detailed magnetic 

 survey of the southeastern part of the Chinese Empire, between approxi- 

 mately the meridians 113° and 122° east and parallels 22° and 42° north, 

 will have been completed by him. He is training a Chinese student in fur- 

 therance of the plan to have magnetic work done by natives of the countries 

 as far as possible. 



Mexico. — Air. J. P. Ault, magnetic observer, having been relieved from 

 sea duty at the conclusion of Cruise II of the Galilee, was assigned to field 

 duty in Mexico in cooperation with the National Observatory at Tacubaya 

 (Sefior Felipe Valle, Director). During the period December i, 1906, 

 to February 17, 1907, he determined the three magnetic elements at 15 sta- 

 tions, and had secured comparisons with the instruments used by the Mexican 

 parties. Mr. D. C. Sowers, magnetic observer, while en route to join the 

 Galilee at San Diego, observed at 2 stations in Mexico, Hermosillo, and 

 Guaymas (repeat station). The observers of the Department thus confined 

 themselves chiefly to the region north of the twenty-fifth paralled. Their re- 

 sults wefe promptly reduced and furnished to Director Valle, who, in coopera- 

 tion with the Department, put two parties in the field — the eastern party in 

 charge of Engineer Sefior Abel Dias Covarrubias and the western party in 

 charge of Sefior Manuel Morena y Anda, embracing the Pacific Coast from 

 Manzanillo to Guaymas, inclusive of Lower California. Upon the organiza- 

 tion of these parties, and after having secured the necessary intercomparisons 

 of instruments, the Department observer was withdrawn, so as to leave the 

 further development of the magnetic survey of Mexico to the Mexican 

 authorities. Sefior Valle's interest in this work will no doubt assure its 

 early completion. 



South Pacific Islands. — Mr. G. Heimbrod, temporarily associated with the 

 Department as magnetic observer, completed, during November and Decem- 

 ber, 1906, the work intrusted to him in the South Pacific Islands, by obser- 



