EEPOETS 



ON THE 



STATE OF SCIENCE. 



The Determination of the Components of Magnetic Force on Board 

 Ship. — Repoi't of the Committee, consisting of Professor A. W. 

 RiJCKER (Chairman), Dr. C. H. Lees (Secretary), Lord Kelvin, 

 Professor A. Schuster, Captain E. W. Creak, Professor W. 

 Stroud, Mr. C. Vernon Boys, and Mr. W. Watson. 



The two instruments constructed a year ago, according to Captain 

 Creak's design, and described below were tested at Kew and found 

 satisfactory. They are now on board the ' Discovery.' A third instru- 

 ment was ordered for use on board the German Antarctic ship ' Gauss,' and 

 a fourth has since been constructed and was exhibited at the Glasgow 

 Meeting of the Association. 



On a New Form of Instrument for observing the Magnetic Dip and 

 Intensity on Board Ship at Sea. By Captain E. W. Creak, CB., 

 R.N., F.R.S. 



One of the principal objects of the Antarctic expedition which sailed 

 last month in the 'Discovery' is to make as complete a magnetic survey 

 of the regions south of the fortieth parallel of south latitude as possible. 



As the greater portion of that region is open sea, it is obvious that, 

 with few chances of landing, the major portion of the survey must be 

 conducted on board ship. 



Previous experience in H.M.S. ships 'Erebus' and 'Terror' in 1839-43 

 (both wooden sailing ships) showed the serious effects of the iron in 

 those ships in disturbing the magnetic instruments established on board. 

 In the case of the ' Discovery,' with engines, boilers, and numerous other 

 iron bodies on board, magnetic observations would have been almost 

 impossible but for the precautions of first choosing a place for the 

 magnetic observatory in the ship and then ensuring that no iron of any 

 kind should be allowed to be placed within a 30-foot radius from that 

 position. 



The ship having thus been prepared, the important question of a 

 reliable instrument for observing the magnetic dip and total force on 



