BY CAPT. EDWAED KIDSON, O.B.E., M.SC. 85 



sible for the observations is shown by his initials. When 

 observations were made jointly by two observers, this fact is 

 shown by the combination of their last initials. 



A number of the expeditions made by members of the 

 party entailed a considerable amount of organisation, and 

 work was carried on under conditions which were frequently 

 arduous and occasionally dangerous. The more important 

 of these expeditions were: — (a) One carried out by myself 

 from Wiluna to Hall's Creek, in Western Australia, along 

 the disused Canning Stock Route; (b) Expeditions by Mr. 

 Brown down the Yorke Peninsula, and by launch along the 

 north coast of the Coburg Peninsula (N.T.) ; (c) A journey 

 by Mr. Parkinson by Ford motor along the No. 1 Rabbit 

 Proof Fence in Western Australia; (d) Mr. Kennedy's camel 

 trip along the line of the transcontinental railway from Port 

 Augusta. Short accounts of these expeditions, as well as 

 of the instrumental equipment, will be published in the 

 works of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. 



On my journey along the Canning Stock Route an earth 

 inductor was used extensively in the field for the first time, 

 and gave excellent results, without any mishaps, proving 

 itself far superior to the dip-circle. 



Towards the end of 1914 the party was concentrated 

 at Perth, and outstanding computations were finished up 

 and instruments compared. The writer then returned to 

 Washington, and other members of the party were assigned 

 to work in other countries. A comparison at Washington 

 between the Department standard instruments and some of 

 those used in Australia gave a final check on the Australian 

 observations. The various comparisons with standard 

 instruments in Washington before and after going to the 

 field, and between instruments while in the field, gave very 

 satisfactory results. With the exception of dip-circles, the 

 needles of which are apt to become slightly rusted, and less 

 accurate in consequence, the instrumental corrections for the 

 various elements remained small, and almost constant. 



Considerable assistance was received in the execution of 

 the work by all members of my party from the Government 

 officials in each State. 



