1.—PRELIMINARY REPORT OF COMMITTEE 
UPON 
THE MAGNETIC SURVEY OF NEW ZEALAND. 
———_____ 
MEMBERS: 
Mr. P. BarAccut, F.R.A.S.; Mr. R. L. J. ELLERY, C.M.G., F.R.S.; 
Sir JAMES Hector, K.C.M.G., M.D., F.R.S.; Mr. H. C. RUSSELL, 
B.A., C.M.G., F.B.S.; and Mr. C. C. Farr, B.Se., Assoc. M. Inst. 
C.E. (Hon. Secretary). 
Your committee beg to report that with a view to carrying 
out the object of your resolution, they approached those bodies 
in New Zealand, who from their connection with the maritime 
affairs of the colony might naturally be supposed to take an 
interest in every movement which was conducive to safer navi- 
gation. ‘They were thus fortunate in securing the support of 
His Excellency Admiral Pearson, who, in reply to letter from the 
secretary of the committee, wrote as follows :— 
H.M.S. “ Royal Arthur,” 
Nelson, New Zealand, 6th May, 1898. 
Sir,—In reply to your letter of the 22nd ult. in regard to the 
proposed scheme for a magnetic survey of New Zealand, and for 
the erection of a permanent magnetic station. I am directed 
by His Excellency Adiniral Pearson to inform you that in his 
opinion such work would be of considerable value to seamen, as, 
owing to the dearth of magnetic observations in the Southern 
Hemisphere, and particularly in this portion of it, neither the 
magnetic variation nor the annual change in it are known to 
that degree of accuracy which is essential to the purpose of 
navigation. 
I have the honour to be, Sir, 
Your obedient servant, 
(Signed) CHARLES J. FERGUSON, 
Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief. 
C. Coleridge Farr, Esq., B. Sc., Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., 
Christchurch, N.Z. 
Your committee also received the strong support of the com- 
mittee of the Shipmasters’ Association of New Zealand, who at 
an exceptionally large meeting, held in Wellington, on 3rd May, 
1898, carried the following resolution :— 
