8(54 Aiiafi/sis of Scientific Bonk<;. 



is an exemplary instance of a military officer devoting his time 

 and talents to the abstract pursuits of science, and voluntarily 

 submitting to severe deprivations and personal danger, in the 

 disinterested promotion of natural knowledge. We more par- 

 ticularly admire his various observations and inquiries made 

 during the expeditions to the Arctic regions (under Captain 

 Ross in 1818, and especially under Captain Parry in 1819 and 

 1820), for the skill and perseverance which they display in 

 overcoming the untoward difficulties and unforeseen obstacles, 

 arising out of situation and climate. 



The clocks and pendulums, used by Captain Sabine in the 

 researches described in this paper, belong to the Royal Society, 

 and were prepared by their direction, under the superintendence 

 of Captain Kater, whose description of them is quoted by the 

 author at the commencement of his communication. The ex- 

 periments were made during two voyages of discovery in search 

 of a North-west passage, the first in 1818, and the second in 

 1819 and 1820 ; and Captain Sabine details in succession the 

 proceedings at each station where an opportunity was afforded 

 of landing and setting up the clocks, and concludes by recapi- 

 tulating the number of vibrations made by each pendulum in 

 the different latitudes in which it was tried, and by stating the 

 deductions regarding the figure of the earth, which follow from 

 the accelerations thus determined. 



In the first voyage, the number of vibrations was ascertained 

 at two stations only, namely, at Gardie-house, on the island of 

 Brassa, and on Waygat or Hare Island, on the west coast of 

 Greenland, the latitude of the first being 60° 09' 42" n., and 

 that of the second 70° 26' 17" n. The number of vibrations in 

 a mean solar day at London being 86497.4, at Brassa they 

 were 86530.507, and at Hare Island 86562.6386, giving an 

 acceleration of 33.107 vibrations between London and Brassa, 

 and of 32.1316 between Brassa and Hare island, or 65.2386 

 between London and Hare Island. 



Captain Sabine then proceeds to detail the preliminary expe- 

 riments relating to the pendulums, and the results of his various 

 observations, made during the second more auspicious voyage 

 under Captain Parry, from which it appears that at Melville 

 Island, in the Polar Sea, in lat. 74° 47' 12."4 n., the mean 

 diurnal acceleration amounted to 74.734 vibrations. Of the 

 proceedings at this station he gives a circumstantial account, 

 which we from lay before our readers the following interesting 

 details : 



As soon as the harbour was determined iu which it was purposed to secure 

 the ships for the winter, and whilst a canal was cutting to admit them 

 through the ice by which it was already occupied, its shores were carefully 

 examined, with a view to select a suitable spot for an observatory. 



The land was found of little elevation, and generally level, except where 



