42 REPORT— 1839. 



The naval expedition will be supplied with every instrument 

 in duplicate in case of accident in the course of along and diffi- 

 cult voyage, and to provide also for the contingency of the ships 

 temporarily parting company. 



Thus everything appears arranged so as to afford all human 

 security for the attainment of the objects proposed in the most 

 complete and satisfactory manner. And while your Committee 

 feel themselves bound to acknowledge in strong terms the 

 ample and liberal manner in which, on this important occasion, 

 every demand on the national resources, without a single ex- 

 ception, has been granted, they consider it no less their duty 

 to express their hopes that this splendid example will be fol- 

 lowed up by other nations, and that this operation will thus 

 become not merely a British, but an European and American 

 one : that, in short, the opportunity thus afforded for com- 

 bined and simultaneous exertion (such as the history of science 

 has never yet offered) will be taken advantage of by observers, 

 both public and private, in every region of the globe. The 

 theory of terrestrial magnetism will thus at once be placed on a 

 broad and ample basis of carefully observed facts, and the re- 

 cords of the next three years will be appealed to in every future 

 stage of the progress of that science as its legitimate point of 

 departure, in the new era which is opening for it. 



Finally, as respects the application of the grant of 400/. 

 made by this Association for the purchase of instruments, your 

 Committee have to report that no part thereof has been ex- 

 pended, and they consider that none will be needed, as Govern- 

 ment has charged itself with the entire expense of the instru- 

 ments for the expedition, and for the observatories, under the 

 direction of its own officers ; and the Board of Directors of the 

 East India Company have undertaken, with their usual liberality, 

 their own observations at their own cost. The grant, however, 

 has proved of most effectual service, as it has enabled your 

 Committee, in more than one instance, to order instruments in 

 the absence or in anticipation of distinct official authority to do 

 so, and thereby to save much precious time, which, on the pre- 

 sent occasion, has been hardly less valuable than money. 



(Signed) J. F. W. Herschel. 

 H. Lloyd. 



