440 



NATURE 



[January i, 1920 



the old," believing that "an act performed publicly 

 is more effective than the same thing done in 

 private." The men who had taken part in the 

 sun dance were men of tine character. White- 



KiG. 4.— White-bufTalo-walkiiig, who look part in a sun-dance. 



buffalo-walking (Fig. 4) was one of those who 

 fulfilled a vow in the last sun dance ever held by 

 the Teton Sioux, that splendid tribe of the 

 rapidly vanishing race. 



Fran'ces Densmore. 



THE INTERNATIONAL HYDROGRAPHIC 

 CONFERENCE. 



pHE International Hydrographic Conference, 

 *■ which was held in London between 

 June 24 and July 16, will, it is believed, mark a 

 new era in hydrography. The revival of trade, with 

 the consequent increased traffic on the high seas 

 which will accompany it, makes the present time 

 most opportune for the discussion of the methods 

 of charting the seas and the publication of in- 

 formation to ensure safe navigation. Thanks to 

 the initiative of the Admiralty, it was found pos- 

 sible to bring together most of the chief hydro- 

 graphic experts of the world, and the decisions 

 they have arrived at in the conference, and the 

 general interchange of ideas which took place, 

 will be fraught with good to the seamen of the 

 world. Twenty-three countries were represented 

 at the conference, amongst the representatives of 

 which were the Hydrographers of Denmark, 

 France, Great Britain, Greece, Holland, Norway, 

 Sweden, and the United States of America. 



The subjects to which the conference devoted 

 its attention were "Charts," "Sailing Directions," 



NO. 2618, VOL. 104] 



"Light Lists," "Notices to Mariners," "Time 

 Signals, Distance Tables, and Other Miscellane- 

 ous Hydrographic Publications," "Tide Tables," 

 " In.struments Used for Surveying on Shore and 

 at Sea," "Time-measuring Instruments," "The 

 Interchange of Publications," and "The Estab- 

 lishment of an International Hydrographic 

 Bureau." 



The subjects, it will be seen, practically covered 

 the whole field of hydrography, and the main 

 object of the conference was to compare the prac- 

 tices of all countries, with a view to the adoption 

 by all of the best methods, and so more or 

 less to standardise the hydrographic publications 

 of the world. All seamen will appreciate the 

 benefit which must accrue from the adoption of 

 common methods of producing all information 

 required for their use to ensure safe navigation. 

 The conference therefore divided itself into 

 committees on the various subjects, and from 

 day to day these committees pursued thtir 

 investigations, finally reporting to the con- 

 ference the agreements at which they had arrived. 

 The conference, after discussing the committees' 

 reports, recorded its decisions in a series of 

 resolutions, to which the hydrographic authorities 

 of each country will, it is hoped, give effect 

 without delay. The result will be practically to 

 standardise all published hydrographic works, 

 and will amply justify the holding of the 

 conference. 



It is not possible in this brief account to enu- 

 merate all the decisions of the conference, and 

 only a few of the most important can be noted. 



Under the head of "Charts," agreement as to 

 the use of a common set of signs and abbrevia- 

 tions which denote the various features on a 

 chart was arrived at. The adoption of the metric 

 system of measurement for depths and heights 

 was discussed at length, but whilst the confer- 

 ence unanimously expressed the opinion that all 

 nations should, as soon as convenient, adopt it 

 in their charts and publications, it was recognised 

 that it was not possible for the countries not using 

 it in their charts to do so until the metre had been 

 adopted as the general standard of measurement in 

 their respective countries, and it was therefore 

 agreed that those countries not using the melre 

 should insert on their charts tables for the conver- 

 sion of the measurements used to the equivalent 

 measurements of the metric system, and that in 

 their sailing directions, light lists, etc., the metric 

 measurements should follow the national measure- 

 ments. The transcription of names received at- 

 tention, and it was agreed that generally the 

 literal, and not the phonetic, transcription was 

 desirable. 



Under the head of "Sailing Directions," the 

 general arrangement of these important addenda 

 to the charts was discussed, and the necessity 

 for the publication of an annual supplement to 

 each. volume to bring it up to date was recog- 

 nised. An improved method of describing tidal 

 streams and currents was adopted. Bearings, it 



