ON MAGNETICAL AND METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 49 
Unternehmung hege, und die ich hiemit frei und unumwunden ausgesprochen 
habe. Findet die Association es fiir zweckmassig sie ganz oder theilweise 
zu veroffentlichen, so stebt von meiner Seite nichts im Wege. 
Mit ausgezeichneter Hochachtung, 
Ergebenster, 
KREIL. 
( Translation.) 
Prague, 23rd March, 1845. 
Dear Sir,—I received a few days ago the valuable ‘ Magnetical and 
Meteorological Observations at Toronto, 1840-42,’ and I now hasten to reply 
to the communication with which the Magnetic Committee have honoured 
me under date of the 5th of December 1844, in which my views respecting 
some questions therein proposed were requested. 
I have looked over this volume and that which I had previously received, 
entitled ‘Observations on Days of unusual Magnetic Disturbance’ with great 
pleasure, for I have seen by these volumes that the highly-wrought expecta- 
tions of the results of these establishments which I cherished, are not only 
met but have in many respects been even exceeded. The history of science 
hardly offers a second example where so many and such richly-provided forces 
have been put into action simultaneously and for the same object; and asa 
powerful impulse, whether in the physical or in the moral world, always ex- 
tends its effects on every side, so the great system of action by which England 
has responded to the call which proceeded from hence has reacted on the con- 
tinent of Europe, and has called forth several efforts which will not pass 
away without having done essential service to science. Among these I will 
name only the two which fall most immediately under my notice. We have 
in Austria two establishments for magnetical and meteorological researches, 
Kremsminster and Senftenberg ; at the first of which places astronomy has 
been actively followed for a century, magnetism only since the last few years, 
and its results are published in the ‘ Annalen fiir Meteorologie und Erd- 
magnetismus.’ The Senftenberg establishment, though only a year old, has 
already published its first fruits. It is more than doubtful whether either 
would have joined the magnetic cooperative system, had it not been for that 
great development which is due to England especially. The magnetic survey 
of Austria, which I hope to begin either this year or the next, would hardly 
have been brought to pass if we had not been enabled to point to the example 
of England. I confine myself to adducing instances belonging to our own 
state, to show that establishments and other endeavours which have pro- 
duced, or which promise to produce, valuable results, have been stimulated 
by the example of England ; and I leave to other cultivators of science to con- 
firm this fact by instances more particularly belonging to their own spheres 
of observation. 
But although the concurrence of so many distinguished men of science, 
and of almost all the civilized nations, illustrious societies, and enlightened 
governments, has done more for magnetism and meteorology than was ever 
accomplished for any other branch of science in so short a time, yet we ought 
not to flatter ourselves that we have done more, at least in the majority of 
eases, than arrive at the knowledge of the first and most obvious facts. The | 
volume of the ‘ Toronto Observations’ now before me itself affords proof of 
this, for in many cases it appears that the series of three years’ observations 
is not sufficient to afford assured results; the knowledge of the annual period 
of declination changes (p. xi.), of some peculiarities in the phzenomena of 
1845. E 
