ON MAGNETICAL. AND METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 3 



well as those Continental ones which can be regarded as intimately connected 

 with and bearing partinthegreatoperations in progress — areof course, and have 

 long been, in full activity. The Russian Government has been pre-eminently 

 active in the establishment of new observatories, and supported by the power- 

 ful protection of M. le Comte Cancrine, Minister of Finance, as well as 

 aided by funds placed at his disposal for the purpose by Prince Mentchikoff 

 and other Russian noblemen of distinction, the zealous and energetic director- 

 general of the Russian observatories, M. KupfTer, has succeeded in procuring 

 the establishment of magnetic observatories at Kasan, Barnaoul, Nertschinsk, 

 and Catherinebourg, and in bringing them by his personal exertions into a 

 state of efficient activity, as well as in obtaining the re-erection of the old 

 and insufficient observatories of Tiflis and Nicolaijeff, and the prospect of a 

 new foundation for the same purposes at Moscow, under the auspices of Count 

 Strogonoff, curator of the university of that city. 



This vast development of the original plan of operations, followed up as it 

 has been by almost every European power, has of course not been accom- 

 plished, to say nothing of expenditure, without the lapse of much valuable 

 time. The original term of observations granted by our own Government 

 and the East India Company, was three years, which expire in the current 

 year — just when in fact everything is come into full action, and the fruits of 

 so much labour and expense are beginning to be regularly gathered in, on a 

 scale commensurate to the exertions used. The necessary preparations, the 

 instruction of officers, their conveyance to their points of destination, the 

 building of observatories, the establishment and adjustment of instruments, 

 were all works of time. The first year of the term was necessarily thus oc- 

 cupied, and in some cases a considerable portion of the second ; so that in no 

 case has anything like the three years of actual observation contemplated, 

 been secured. Under these circumstances, and considering that a pause for 

 the present, and resumption at some future time of the observations, would 

 involve the breaking up of the whole system so auspiciously commenced, the 

 dismantling and decay of the existing observatories, the fresh initial expense, 

 delays, and difficulties of concerted organization in their re-establishment, it 

 was considered advisable by the President and Council of the Royal Society 

 that application should be made to Government on their part for the con- 

 tinuance of the observatories during another period of three years, to termi- 

 nate with the end of the year 1845. At the same time it was officially inti- 

 mated on the part of the Russian Government, that the Russian observatories 

 should be kept on as long as the British ; Baron Brunow at the same time 

 stating, that so far from supposing the period thus asked for long, his com- 

 munications led him to presume that it would be considered as the shortest 

 time in which the objects contemplated were likely to be accomplished, and 

 in which adequate returns could be made for the great exertions and outlay 

 occasioned in the establishment of the observatories. 



To these representations your Committee are happy to be enabled to re- 

 port that an unhesitating assent on the part of the British Government has 

 been given, and that in consequence the continuance of the general system for 

 three additional years must be considered secure. Whatever may be the 

 course of men's opinions as to the additional burdens recently imposed on the 

 country, men of science may at least congratulate themselves that their quota 

 of the general contribution will be devoted to objects which they cannot but 

 heartily approve. 



To this new period that which is on the point of elapsing must be consi- 

 dered (independent of the rich and valuable results it has yielded) as a pre- 

 paration of incalculable value, since whatever modifications and improvements, 



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