HIRKEI.AND. THE NORWEGIAN AURORA POLARIS EXPEDITION, 1902 1903. 



The Magnetic Register-Observatory. 



The observatory, as the sketch and accompanying plan shows (Fig. 24), was erected to the SSW of the 

 dwelling-house. There was no rock foundation there, so the house could be sunk some way into the 

 earth. As the plan shows, the observatory is quite a plain wooden house, divided into two rooms, both 

 dark rooms. The front, more southerly one merely forms the necessary anteroom to the inner, north room 

 which is the register-room. 



The following is an explanation of the plan : 



<JI and (JH are the two doors by which the register-room is entered. To the right of the entrance 

 is the vertical intensity variometer, V, then the declination variometer, D, and finally the variometer for 

 horizontal intensity, H. These instruments are placed upon a wooden board, T, which rests upon two 

 solid wooden posts, P and P l , which are sunk far down into the earth and surrounded with stones_ 

 Farthest in is the register, R, with the reflector, L. It stood on the ground, upon the long legs belonging 

 to the instrument. 



The drawing beside the above is a diagrammatic representation scale two fifths of the position of 

 the magnets during the registering. The arrow through it gives the magnetic meridian. The letters on the 



magnets give the direction in which the 

 poles pointed. A wind-rose is drawn 

 round the declination variometer. 



The Observatory for Absolute Measures. 

 This was a house exactly similar 

 to that erected in Spitsbergen. Instead 

 of the cement pillar, however, there 

 was a solid wooden post about 35 

 centimetres in diameter in the middle 

 of the house, properly sunk into the 

 earth and surrounded with stones. 



11. The other buildings shown 

 in the sketch were already there, and 

 were placed at our disposal with great 

 willingness by the Russian govern- 

 ment. The dwelling-house, which had 



been built for the Russian painter, BORISOFF, was a good, substantial house, fully furnished and in good 

 condition. The Russian authorities were most kind in the assistance they gave to our expedition. 

 The Governor, RIMSKI KORSAKOFE, showed us his good-will in many ways. We were even carried 

 free of charge from Archangel to Matotchkin Schar and back, with all our baggage; and the steamer 

 "Wladimir" had instructions to land all our cases at Borisoffs house. We further received permission 

 to make use, if necessary, of the depot that is intended for shipwrecked sailors who may come ashore 

 there. There was also a thermometer-hut and a weather-vane there already; all we had to do was 

 to put in the thermometer-screen, and to put the whole thing into a state of efficiency. 



The electroscope was not observed regularly, and when it was, it was done in the open without 

 protection. The Zamboni battery got out of order during the time of observation. 



In August and part of September, it was summer in Matotchkin Schar; but it was cold and 

 inclement, and there was rarely more than 10 degrees of heat. It was almost always cloudy and damp, 

 and the sun was seldom visible. 



Fig. 23. Our Station at Matotchkin Schar. 



