94 Description and System of Working 



Pacific, now submerged, was then a continent. If so, we 

 might farther ask, is its disappearance a compensation in the 

 earth's crust for the extensive elevation we experience here ? 

 These enquiries may never be answered, but at least they 

 let us know that there are more things in the earth than are 

 accounted for in our present philosophy, and all the little 

 facts we gain bring us nearer to that ocean shore where we 

 gaze towards the boundless horizon of the omnipotence of 

 that God who made these things which we pry into but 

 cannot understand. 



Art. XI. — Description and System of Working of the Flagstaff 

 Observatory. — By Professor George Neumayer. 



[With three Plates.] 

 [Eead before the Institute, 20th October, 1858.] 



When the first proposition was made by me to the Govern- 

 ment of this colony to establish a Magnetic Observatory, I 

 proposed to select, for the site of the same, a spot on the 

 southern side of the Yarra. I made that selection because 

 the geological formations were more favourable there than on 

 this side of the river, and preliminary observations on the 

 magnetic elements had established the superiority of that 

 ground over any other round Melbourne; further, the 

 business part of the city, being more remote, was not 

 likely to cause disturbances and inconvenience ; and, lastly, 

 the greater vicinity of the harbour was well calculated to faci- 

 litate the communication with masters of ships — an impor- 

 tant condition required for the entire success of the Obser- 

 vatory. 



It was only after some hesitation on my part, and after 

 having selected two other places near that originally pro- 

 posed, that I followed the suggestion made to me by the Go- 

 vernment, to investigate the suitability of the Flagstaff Hill, 

 with a view to making it a site for the proposed Observatory, 

 as the buildings within the enclosure of the late signal station 

 would be available for that purpose. The fact that the 

 Flagstaff Hill stands upon decomposed basalt, covered to 

 depths from 10 to 20 feet with tertiary gravel, prompted me 

 to be cautious, and a long series of preliminary observations, 

 made within the enclosure and on the surrounding ground, 



