iv Report of Observatory Committee, 



Whilst the surveys of Sir J. Ross and Captains Moore and Clerk 

 have given us the disposition of the lines of the three magnetic ele- 

 ments in those parts of the southern hemisphere which are accessible 

 to navigation, the Continent of Australia remains a blank upon the 

 map. 



The Imperial Government has done its part in the Hobart Town 

 Observatory, and we do not think that the Government of Victoria 

 should withhold its contributions to the great scientific enquiry of 

 the day, by neglecting to institute a survey of the colony. 



A gentleman is now in Melbourne, with instruments supplied for 

 that purpose by the King of Bavaria, who has both liberally main- 

 tained a well known fixed observatory at Munich, and also caused 

 his kingdom to be surveyed. This gentleman has had a share in the 

 latter work, and is well qualified for the employment. "We hope 

 that the Colonial Government will not allow a foreign prince to do a 

 work for us which other governments have done for themselves, but 

 will both purchase the instruments and be at the whole expense of 

 the survey, taking advantage of the knowledge and experience of 

 Professor Neumeyer, should he be willing to enter into such an ar- 

 rangement. 



Should such a survey be decided on, it will be necessary to have 

 a fixed observatory to take observations contemporaneously with the 

 Surveyor, in order to guard against error from magnetic disturbances. 

 This would require observations of the three chief instruments at 

 short intervals during two hours daily, at the time when the Sur- 

 veyor should by agreement be making certain of his observations, 

 which would be sufficient to guard against errors arising from the 

 survey observations being taken during the time of a magnetic dis- 

 turbance. 



We recommend that the survey should be at first limited to the 

 country between the meridians of 144° and 145° 30'. 



The expenses would be the salaries and travelling expenses of the 

 Surveyor and an attendant to put up his tent, &c, &c. 



The fixed observatory need involve but small expense. An exca- 

 vation 20 feet square, with a thatched roof, so as to suffer as little 

 as possible from changes of temperature, with four stone pillars for 

 the instruments, is the whole building required. The observations 

 might be made by the observer of the transit circle. 



If the Astronomical and Magnetical Observatories were in juxta- 

 position, the staff would be — 1st. A Director, whose duty should be 

 to take observations with the reflecting telescope, and to have the 

 general superintendence of the other observations. This gentleman 

 shoidd have some amount of scientific attainments. From all we 

 can learn, however, we have no doubt that a very suitable person 

 could be obtained for £600 a year. 2nd. A Transit Observer, who 

 should also have charge of the meteorological observations, and those 

 few magnetical observations made in the fixed observatory. And 



