DEPARTMENT OF TERRESTRIAL MAGNETISM. 291 



but it has been possible to make additional new observations in Africa, 

 as well as to obtain valuable variation data at some of the Depart- 

 ment's previous stations and at the ports of call of the Carnegie. 



AFRICA. 



Observer F. Brown continued the work which he began in Africa, 

 March 1919. He reached Fort Lamy, near the head of Lake Tchad, 

 French Equatorial Africa, on September 10, 1919, having secured 

 repeat obser\'^ations en route at Garoua, the Department's station of 

 1914, on the upper Benue River. At Fort Lamy observations were 

 made at the Mission TiUio station, which had been previously occupied 

 in 1917 by Observer H. E. Sawyer of the Department. On September 

 18, Mr. Brown left Fort Lamy by small boat for Lai, 250 miles up the 

 Lagone River, his progress being necessarily very slow on account of 

 the flooded conditions of the country at the time. Lai was reached 

 on October 9, after a difficult journey through the swamps against a 

 swollen current under very trying tropical conditions. The route 

 followed next, for an estunated distance of 550 mUes, lay overland 

 southward to Gore, westward to Baibokoum, thence south to Camot 

 on the upper waters of the Sanga, a tributary of the Congo River. 

 Throughout this region the native tribes were at times distinctly 

 unfriendly, but no open hostility occurred. From Carnot, reached No- 

 vember 9, to Ouesso, a distance of about 340 miles, the journey was 

 contined by canoe and small boat. Ouesso was reached on November 

 21. Turning westward at this point, Mr. Brown proceeded by small 

 steamer up the Ngoko River to Ngoila, and then for 300 miles to Abong- 

 Mbang. Abong-Mbang to Olama, a distance about 200 nules, was 

 easily made by canoe down the Nyong River, the expedition arriving 

 at Olamaon on December 23. 



During May 2 to December 23, 1919, Mr. Brown had established 

 69 stations, 3 of which were repeat stations. At several of the 

 principal points he observed at more than one station in order to make 

 certain that conditions would be suitable for future reoccupations. 

 The total distance traveled was approximately 3,600 miles, of which 

 less than 700 was by rail and steamer. The remainder was made by 

 canoe or by carriers, the observer walking a large part of the journey. 

 The average distance between stations, not considering secondary 

 or auxiliary stations in the same locahty, is a httle over 50 miles. 

 The helpful cooperation of the government officials throughout the 

 territoiy traversed contributed no little to the successful issue of 

 Mr. Brown's expedition through Cameroon. 



While awaiting steamer connections, Mr. Brown reoccupied his 

 stations at Olama and Douala. He left Douala on January 24 for 

 Benguella, Angola, to begin a trip thi'ough Angola across Africa by 

 way of Elisabeth ville and the Zambezi to Portuguese East Africa. 



