116 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 681 



Time and place of meetiiig and form of 

 publication are to be decided later. 



T. L. Lyon, 

 Secretary 

 Ithaca, N. Y., 

 January 10, 1908 



THE WORK OP THE MAGNETIC SURVEY 



YACHT " GALILEE " IN THE PACIFIC 

 OCEAN DURING 1907 



The early part of tbe year found tbe Galilee 

 on her way to the Marquesas Islands, having 

 left San Diego, California, on December 22, 

 1906, with the following scientific personnel 

 on board: W. J. Peters, commander; Messrs. 

 J. 0. Pearson and D. C. Sowei-s, magnetic 

 observers, and Dr. G. Peterson, surgeon and 

 recorder. Captain J. T. Hayes, as heretofore, 

 was the sailing master. 



Prom the Marquesas Islands, the route fol- 

 lowed to Shanghai, touched at Tahiti (So- 

 ciety Islands), Apia (Samoan Islands) and 

 Yap (Caroline Islands) ; Shanghai was 

 reached on May 8. At all of the ports visited 

 special examinations with regard to the dis- 

 tribution of the magnetic elements were made 

 and comparisons secured, whenever possible, 

 between the Oalilee magnetic instruments and 

 magnetic observatory standards. In addition, 

 magnetic observations were made at sea when- 

 ever conditions permitted. 



Leaving Shanghai on May 31 course was set 

 for Sitka, Alaska, where the vessel arrived 

 on July 15. Here she was inspected by Dr. 

 L. A. Bauer, and some instrumental changes 

 decided upon in consultation with the com- 

 mander, Mr. Peters. At this port Mr. J. C. 

 Pearson, who had been continuously on sea 

 duty for a year and a half, was relieved and 

 assigned to important magnetic work in the 

 Yukon territory. In his place on board ship 

 was assigned Mr. P. H. Dike, who in addition 

 to taking part in the regular magnetic observa- 

 tions will likewise attempt special experi- 

 mental work in atmospheric electricity. 



After having completed the required shore 

 operations at Sitka, the Galilee set out once 

 more, under the command of Mr. Peters, for a 

 cruise extending this time over both the North 

 and the South Paeifio Ocean. Leaving Sitka 



on August 10 she arrived at Honolulu on 

 August 28. Here again shore magnetic ob- 

 servations were made and instruments were 

 tested and compared at the Coast and Geo- 

 detic Survey Magnetic Observatory near 

 Honolulu. 



Leaving Honolulu on September 26, the 

 Galilee was sighted off Midway Island on Oc- 

 tober 6 on her way to Jaluit, of the Marshall 

 Islands, and she finally arrived at Lyttleton, 

 near Ohristchurch, New Zealand, on December 

 24, having been delayed somewhat in her 

 progress by calms. 



It is expected that she will leave the last 

 named port about January 15 for Callao, Peru, 

 where she is due to arrive early in March. 

 From thence she will return to her home port, 

 San Prancisco, about May 1. The aggregate 

 length of the cruises of the Galilee since Au- 

 gust 1, 1905, will then have amounted to about 

 65,000 miles, embracing the Pacific Ocean 

 from the American coast to the Asiatic coast, 

 and from the Aleutian Islands down to New 

 Zealand. 



A complete determination of the three 

 magnetic elements (magnetic declination, 

 magnetic inclination, and intensity of mag- 

 netic force) has been secured at sea, on the 

 average, about every 200 or 250 miles along 

 the entire route, besides numerous magnetic 

 results having been secured at ports and islands 

 visited. 



Owing to the high efficiency reached by Mr. 

 Peters's party and because of the promptness 

 with which the records of observations are 

 transmitted, the complete reduction of the 

 work can be kept almost apace with the obser- 

 vational work. It is confidently hoped that all 

 the results obtained can be put in published 

 form shortly after the termination of the work 

 at San Prancisco next May. 



To say nothing of the interesting and im- 

 portant scientific results growing out of this 

 work, mention may be made at present of but 

 one result — one of great practical importance 

 to navigational interests. With the aid of the 

 data furnished the United States Hydro- 

 graphic Office by the Carnegie Institution of 

 Washington, it was possible to issue last spring 

 a new chart of the " Lines of Equal Magnetic 



