\l 



observation-; for eight joars, Sir .lulin 

 himself holpinp; in the magnetic obser- 

 vations. Mr. Francis Abbott, who had 

 a private observatory in Murray-street, 

 carried on observations tri-daily from 

 1841 to 1880. Being a member of the 

 E(.yal Society, he .supplied them with 

 monthly meteorological reports, which 

 are published in their yearly report. 

 Observations were taJ^en of barometer, 

 temperature, humidity, clouds, and 

 rain. In 1858, ozone wavS added. 

 Observations were also started of rain- 

 fall, etc., by the Marine Board at the 

 lighthouses under their care, and by 

 guitlemen in different parts of the is- 

 land, observations being taken in 1864 

 bv Mr. J. Boyd at Port Arthur, Dr, 

 Stcrev at Swansea, Mr. R. Henry at 

 Tamar Heads. In 1865, by Mr. M. 

 Duncanson at Ross, Mr. F. Belstead at 

 AVestbury, and Mr. W. E. Shoobridge at 

 New Norfolk. Mr. Francis Abbott was 

 obliged to relinquish his work in March, 

 1880, and in 1881 observations were 

 taken only at New Norfolk by Mr. W. 

 K. Shoobridge. In 1882, Captain Shortt 

 was asked by the Royal Society to un- 

 dertake the work. In March. 1883. a 

 deputation from the Royal Society 

 waited on the Premier, and asked him 

 to establish a Government Observatory. 

 This w^as done, and the present observa- 

 tory in the Barracks started under Cap- 

 tain Shortt in 1883, lat 42, 53, 28.3, 

 long. 147, 19.45 i^. Captain Shortt re- 

 mained in charge till his death in 1892." 

 Professor McAulay said he desired to 

 impress upon the right quarter the 

 very unsatisfactory state of the keeping 

 of time in Ta.-mania, and the pressing 

 practical importance of an improve^- 

 ment being made. Those who had to do 

 with the keeping of time knew that it 

 was a matter of life and death to some 

 to know the correct time to the half 

 second at least. Accurate time was of 

 the highest importance to navigators, 

 who, if they were a single second wrong 

 in their time, might be out a quarter of 

 a mile. It was a small thing to provide 

 for the simple commercial matter of ac- 

 curate time, but he did not think that 

 the residents of Hobart at the present 

 realised its importance. The observa- 

 tory at Hobart had not a clock worthy 

 of the name. The observatory depended 

 upon a private citizen of Hobart, Mr. 

 David Barclay, for reasonable time. 

 There was an antiquated transit, and 

 accuracy to the 100th part of a second 

 <;ould not be secured. The accepted 



way of announcing the exact time to 

 the public was by the dropping of a 

 ball, but it might be done at 9 o'clock 

 at night by a single electric flash. Two 

 or three instruments, two good clocks, 

 a good transit, and a proper connection 

 between the observatory and the ball 

 would not cost more than £500, and an 

 extra salary would, perhaps, be £50 or 

 £100 more. It was unreasonable for the 

 Federal Government to have taken over 

 lighthouses if they did not provide for 

 the keeping of accurate time in an iso- 

 lated place like this as well as in other 

 ports of call. 



Mr. H. C. Kingsmill, Government 

 Meteorologist, read some questions ask- 

 ed by the Acting Federal Premier in a 

 circular addressed to the State Pre- 

 miers on the subject of astronomical and 

 meteorological establishments in the 

 various States, and said that a 

 bare answer to those questions 

 would be exceedingly mislead- 



ing to the Federal Government. 

 Mr. Kingsmill then went on to say that 

 the transit was certainly antiquated : 

 and that when he took charge of the ob- 

 servatory he found the meridian mark 

 out. He recommended that it should 

 be changed, but the cost would be £3, 

 and the money could not be got. (Laugh- 

 ter.) Yet, in s.pite of difl&culties, the 

 Admiral of the Australian station had 

 acknowledged the accuracy of the time 

 signals here. At Tamar Heads, the 

 Miclbourne Observatory had been con- 

 nected with, and it was found that Vic- 

 torian and Tasmanian time agreed "to 

 the very tick" of the telegraph. This 

 success had been obtained with an ex- 

 penditure of labour, which would be alto- 

 gether unnecessary if he had proper ap- 

 paratus. Practically, the observatory 

 standard time was Mr. David Barclay's 

 clock, with which they had electric con- 

 nection. As regarded meteorological 

 work, they had ten stations, which sent 

 in daily telegrams, and these were sent 

 on to the mainland to enable the fore- 

 casts to be made. There was nothing 

 mysterious about forecasts. They were 

 simply the result of the combination of 

 the barometer, the telegraph, and an 

 army of observers, and were of great 

 value to farmers and passengers by sea. 

 There were 80 rainfall stiationsi over the 

 island, and these sent in monthly reports, 

 and each year a map based upon them 

 was made. Magnetic obsiervations 



would be of great importance. An in- 

 strument in the Isle of Wight coranmni- 



