2 THIRTY THOUSAND MILES IN CHINA 



ism, and for the solution of this large problem data must be 

 had for all parts of the globe both on land and sea. 



Therefore, when in 1904 "The Department of Eesearch 

 in Terrestrial Magnetism" was created by the Carnegie 

 Institution of Washington with the special object of securing 

 magnetic data in the regions of the globe where most needed 

 and where no organizations are prepared to undertake this 

 work, I was glad to offer my services to the Director, Dr. 

 L. A. Bauer, for such work in China as he might authorize 

 and support. 



Already some observations had been made by the Obser- 

 vatories at Hongkong and Zikawei, by various naval officers 

 at coast and river ports, and by an occasional party of travel- 

 lers from abroad ; but nothing like an adequate or comprehen- 

 sive survey had been thought of. 



Thanks to the liberal support accorded by the Carnegie 

 Institution of Washington, and to the aid given by the Hong- 

 kong and Zikawei Observatories in the loan of instruments 

 for the first few years, by the Chinese Government through 

 its customs and postal services and local civil officials 

 generally, and to the co-operation of consuls and missionaries 

 wherever encountered, as well as to the courtesy of the 

 Canton Christian College in granting furloughs, it has been 

 possible to carry to a successful conclusion not only the whole 

 programme for a preliminary reconnaissance of China proper 

 but to extend the survey into Manchuria, Mongolia, Chinese 

 Turkestan, French-Indo-China and Siam, and to do so 

 practically "on time," in spite of the fact that the period of 

 our work has been one of almost constant political unrest 

 in China. 



From the first, care has been taken to avoid giving the 

 Chinese any impression that we are intending to invade their 

 field, but only to encourage and assist them in the accom- 

 plishment of the preliminary stages of a work which, when 

 their government is sufficiently organized to maintain a 

 scientific service on its own account, will properly fall under 

 their meteorological department. With this end in view 

 I have always included in my party a Chinese student to act 

 as recorder and assistant observer. 



In French-Indo-China and Siam, the hearty co-operation 

 of the respective Governments was accorded and free trans- 

 portation provided for the expeditions. 



The results secured in the period 1905-13 have been 

 published by the Carnegie Institution of Washington with 

 similar observations in other parts of Asia and of the globe 

 under the title "Land Magnetic Observations" in Volumes 

 I and II of Publication No. 175, by L. A. Bauer, Director 



