Miscellanies, 381 



the year 1 808, at Baltimore, I commenced a series of observations 

 in the mornings and evenings to ascertain the variations of the mag- 

 netic needle, as the surveyors found a considerable difference in 

 the curves of lines which had been run many years before, although 

 they knew not what it then was or had been before. I found after 

 many observations, taken at different places, (to avoid local attrac- 

 tion,) by using a nautical almanac and continuing the declinations up 

 to the time of observation ; by using a magnifying glass to take the 

 sun's bearing more correctly, and afterwards by rejecting a number 

 of my first observations, I believed that I could place reliance on the 

 result, which was, that there was not more than ten or fifteen minutes 

 of a degree west variation at that time. Now I will suggest that, in 

 my view, it is due from this generation to succeeding ones, to leave 

 them the knowledge of what the variation is in our time. If there 

 was an observer at Washington, at Baltimore, at Wilmington, at Phil- 

 adelphia, at Princeton, at New York, and so on easterly, and also 

 south of Washington city, and if each of these observers would take 

 an observation of the sun, with amplitude or azimuth, on the fifth, 

 fifteenth and twenty fifth day of each month, and transmit a copy 

 thereof to the president of this magnetic association, (who, to give 

 credit to the association, ought to be some scientific man, and known 

 to the public as such.) I am convinced that from an annual publica- 

 tion of the result of this labor, both advantage and satisfaction would be 

 derived. As this could hardly be accomplished without some public 

 aid, each observer should be furnished by the government with a good 

 compass that would do for either azimuth or amplitude observations, 

 to which might be added a telescope and sextant, all to be kept and 

 used by each observer while he shall faithfully and correctly do his 

 duty and no longer. 



If more attention was paid to this neglected branch of science, 

 succeeding generations would be rewarded thereby, and perhaps 

 they might then be able to assign some reasonable cause for the mag- 

 netic variation more rational than any hitherto. Thy friend, 



Daniel Byrnes. 



The suggestions of Mr. Byrnes are both reasonable and interest- 

 ing, and they could be easily put in practice : nothing is easier for 

 the government of this country than to do every thing for science, 

 and to enable science to do every thing for the country. 



