Section III., 1911. [129] TRANS. R. S.C, 
Magnetic Observations in Canada made by authority of the Department 
of Marine and Fisheries. 
1907 to 1910. 
By W. E. W. Jackson, M.A. 
Presented by R F. Stupart, F.R.S.C. Read May 17, 1911. 
Magnetic observations were first made in Northern Canada during 
the expeditions of discovery in the far northern regions by British 
Naval Officers. In 1819-20 Col. Sabine! accompanied Sir Edward Parry 
on his famous expedition in search of the North-west passage and 
wintered on the south coast of Melville Island. Here he set up a Mag- 
netic Observatory and determined the values of the Magnetic elements. 
His determination of declination, showed the compass was pointing 
127° 48’ E of north, that the Inclination was 88° 42’ and that the total 
force was 0.5644 G.G.S. units. 
-Observations were taken along their route whenever opportunities 
were afforded, but were confined almost entirely to Declinations. From 
these observations he was able to show that the Magnetic pole was to 
the South of his course, but it remained for Ross? on his expedition 
of 1831 to locate it on Boothia Peninsula, not far from where the ill- 
fated expedition of Sir John Franklin met its tragic end in 1845. 
During the search for Franklin from 1847 to 1859, scientific re- 
search was energetically carried on, under the direction of Sir John 
Richardson, and Magnetic data was obtained which made the Declina- 
tion charts very complete over the region now known as Franklin Ter- 
ritory. Though a North-west passage was discovered during this 
search, the almost insurmountable difficulties which were encountered 
and the hardships the various expeditions suffered, demonstrated fully 
how futile would be any attempt to commercialize it and until Amund- 
sen? in 1905-6 made his successful north-west passage in the “Gjoa”’ 
no further expeditions had visited this region and consequently no 
Magnetic observations had been obtained during a period of about fifty 
years. Amundsen again located the Magnetic pole not far from where 
Ross had placed it in 1831 and showed that it was continually changing 
in position. 
1 Parry’s Voyage, 1819-20. 
? Philosophical Transactions, 1834. 
3 London, Geog. J., V. 29. No. 5. 
