xl REPORT 1860. 



ciation, the time might be saved which must otherwise have been lost in their 

 preparation. They have been made on the model of those which have been 

 in use at the Kcw Observatory since January 18.58. An account of these is in 

 the press, and will be published in the volume of Reports of the British Asso- 

 ciation for 18.59-1860, which must be in circulation next month. I have 

 thoroughly examined and computed the declination results for 1858 and 1859, 

 by means of tabulated hourly values, and am now engaged in the same cal- 

 culation of the Bifilar and Vertical Force Magnetometers. The Declination 

 Report will be presented to the Royal Society, and printed in the ' Proceed- 

 ings ' in the course of the summer, as well as the results of the Force Mag- 

 netometers for the same two years, as soon as I am able to draw up the report 

 in due form and order. But I am able to say, regarding all the three elements, 

 that the instruments are eminently successful. Independent of the continuity 

 of the record (which is of course a great thing in itself), the hourly tabula- 

 tions are far more consistent and satisfactory than were the eye-observations 

 at any of our observatories. 



" In preparing a second set of instruments, therefore (which we have done 

 for the proposed Netherlands Observatory in Java), we have had very few 

 improvements to introduce, except the addition of reading-telescopes for each 

 instrument — so that we may always retain the power of eye-observation, 

 either in addition to or substitution for photographic records. Dr. Bergsma, 

 the Director of the Java Observatory, is now at Kew, observing with his in- 

 struments, in comparison with those in our own Observatory (as Ave have a 

 separate building for the instruments on trial), and will take them away 

 towards the end of June. These of course will be paid for by the Netherlands 

 Government, having been ordered expressly for them. There will then be the 

 third set, which have been prepared for Vancouver, and which are ready to 

 succeed the Java instruments in the experimental house. A few very trifling 

 improvements have been introduced in these — none worthy of being noticed 

 here. They at present stand as mine, and I shall be indebted £250 for them. 

 The decision of Government, as communicated to the President of the Royal 

 Society, makes no reference to my responsibility on their account. I am, 

 therefore, to say the least, quite free to dispose of them as I may please. 

 Now I am not rich enough to offer them as a loan to your ' Washington 

 Territory' Observatory ; but if you desire to have differential determinations 

 there in addition to absolute determinations, I am persuaded that you could 

 not have better instruments than these would be; and I consider myself as 

 quite free to offer you the refusal of them, asking only in return that you 

 will give me as early a reply as may be convenient, because I have some 

 reason to expect that I may receive an application from the Sydney Obser- 

 vatory to obtain a duplicate of the Kew instruments; in which case, if you 

 had not claimed them in the meantime, I should direct these to be sent to 

 Sydney. " Sincerely yours, 



(Signed) " Edward Sabine." 



" Dr. Bache, F.R.S., Director of the 



Coast Survey of the United States." 



The reply to this letter has not yet been received; but in the meantime 

 the following application has come for a set of magnetical instruments for 

 absolute determinations from Dr. Smalhvood, Professor of Meteorology at 

 M c Gill College in Montreal, Canada:— 



" St. Martin, Isle Jesus, May 2], 1800. 



" Sir, — I duly received yours of the 16th of July last, in reference to the 



