170 KNOTT AND TANAKADATE 



The ,s(nithern Partv was under the chui'o-e of Mr. Tanakadate, 

 who was assisted by Mr. K. Iniagawa, an elective student of Physics. 

 This party used a Dipping Needle of the usu d Kew pattern (Dover, 

 Charlton Kent, Circle No. 24); but measured the declination and 

 horizontal f(3rce by means of an instrument constructed by Mr. 

 Tanakadate himself. This will be fully described further on. 



Each Party was completed by the addition of a University servant. 



In selecting the stations we aimed at two things; 1st, a fairly 

 good distribution, 2nd, a shunning of local disturbances due to 

 volcanic rocks. As the observations will show, the second conditi<jn 

 Avas extremely difficult to fulfil — indeed practically impossible except 

 by leaving out large tracts of Cfjuntry. This was especially true in the 

 northern part of Japan, where magnetic rocks abound. AV'e always 

 tried however to give volcanoes a wide berth, as these had been 

 shown by previ(jus observers to be great sources of distm'bance, 

 especially as regards the declination. 



As the tabulated values of the various elements sufficiently 

 indicate by the dates attached the chronological order of the stations, 

 it is enouo'h to o-ive a verv i^eneral indication of the routes. 



The northern Party left Tokyo on dune 2üth, 1887, and 

 proceeded by rail and jinrikisha northwards to Shiogama. From 

 here they took boat to Isliinomaki, thence up the river (the Kita-kami- 

 gawa) to Ichinoseki, and on by vond to Morioka. Here they turned 

 due east and made over the hills to Miyako, a coast town of con- 

 siderable importance. A Japanese junk then took them northwards 

 to Kuji, whence by packhorse and jinrikislia they proceeded by 

 Hachinohe to Aomori. From Aomori they crossed to Hakodate, 

 from which as a centre they made expeditions by sea to Sapporo and 

 Nemuro. The return journey was made on the western side of the 

 great central ridge, coast t<jwns such as Akita, Stikata, Niigata, etc., 



