264 POPULAR LECTURES AND ADDRESSES. 



Captain Creak has also called my attention to 

 the following statement in a paper which he 

 read in 1886 before the Royal Society, " On Local 

 Magnetic Disturbance in Islands situated far from 

 a Continent " : 



" As an instance of large disturbance the results 

 " obtained at the bluff, Bluff Harbour, in the South 

 " Island, New Zealand, may be mentioned. In 

 u 1857, during the land survey by the local govern- 

 " ment officials, the following values of the declina- 

 " tion were observed. 1 



On the summit of the bluff 6 54' E. 



30 feet north of the same position 9 36 W. 



west ., 5 04 E. 



east ,, 46 44 E. 



Normal from sea observations 16 20 E 



" On the summit of the bluff there was thus 

 " shown to be a strong focus of red magnetism. 



" During the survey of the South Island by the 

 " officers of H.M.S. Acheron, it was found necessary 

 " to give up the use of compass-bearings at this 

 " place, and adopt the plan of observing nothing 

 " but true bearings." 



1 Transactions of New Zealand Institute, 1873, vol. vi., p. 7. 



