Art. XII. — The Ma(/uetic Shoal near Bezout Idand, off- 

 Cossack, KW. Coast of Australia. 



Bv R. L. J. Ellery, C.M.G., F.RS., F.R.A.S. 



Government Astronomer, Melbourne. 

 [Read Oct. 8, 1891.] 



In i(atiire of March 19, 1891, p. 471, Connnaiider E. W. 

 Creak, R.N., states that in September 188-5, on board H.M. 

 surveying sliip " Medea," when passing Bezout Island, near 

 Cossack, JSf.W. Australia, a stead}' detlection of the compass 

 of 30" was observed, whilst the ship was i-unning over in a 

 N.N. VV. direction, and a deptli of 8 fathoms of water. 



When the " Penguin " surveying siiip was in Hobson's 

 > Bay hist Autumn, Lieutenant Coombe made magnetic 

 determinations at oui- Observatory to test his instruments, 

 and he described to me the experience of their vessel, the 

 " Penguin," when at Bezout Ishmd in November hist yeai-. 

 The "Penguin" being two nnles from the Ishmd N. 79° E., 

 a deflection of 22° was noticed in her compasses. On Bezout 

 Island itself, tlie dip was normal, viz., 50° 2' S., but 214 

 miles N., 79-^- E. from the ishmd, the needle dipped to 8:>° 

 with very small deflection of the compass. This was, no 

 doubt, nearly vertically over the disturbing force. Tlie 

 compass deflection increased, first on one side, and then on 

 the other, as the magnetic centre was approached, within a 

 hundred feet or so, oi- left behind a like distance. 



So remarkable a phenomenon lias attracted a good deal of 

 attention, and I Ijelieve Captain Moore, the Commander, 

 received instructions from the i^dniiralty to further investi- 

 gate this abnormal magnetic disturbance. At all events, 

 the " Penguin," on leaving this port, went back to Western 



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