442 
The Centre of Gravity of the Earth , [August, 
zeniths correspond to the radii of a circle drawn from the 
centre of this circle or sphere. 
On the accuracy, or otherwise, of these assumptions 
depend the correctness, or otherwise, of some important 
details in practical Astronomy. 
An investigation of any terrestrial globe reveals the faCt 
that, in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth, the mass of 
land above the sea exceeds considerably the mass of land in 
the Southern Hemisphere that is above the sea. In the 
Northern Hemisphere, above the sea is the whole of Asia, 
Europe, and North America, two-thirds of Africa, and a 
small portion of South America. To balance, as we may 
term it, this amount of land in the Northern Hemisphere, 
there is in the Southern Hemisphere one-third of Africa, 
the island of Australia, and the greater portion of South 
America. The facft exists, therefore, that there is in the 
Northern Hemisphere at least twice the quantity of land 
above the ocean that there is in the Southern Hemisphere. 
Now it does not alter the conditions or laws which will 
be referred to, even though the Earth be a perfect: sphere 
instead of a spheroid. But it must follow that the surface 
of the ocean in corresponding latitudes, north and south, 
must be at the same distance from the Earth’s centre ; thus 
the surface of the ocean in, say, io° S. latitude is at the 
same distance from the Earth’s centre as the surface of the 
ocean in io° N. latitude, and so on for each corresponding 
. degree of latitude north and south of the Equator. It fol- 
lows, therefore, that if the Equator be equidistant at all 
parts from the Poles of the Earth, the preponderance of 
land in the Northern Hemisphere must cause the centre of 
gravity of the Earth to he located north of this Equator . 
Again, the distribution of land above the sea in the 
Northern Hemisphere is so arranged that the preponderance 
is located between about 15 0 W. longitude from Greenwich 
and 120 0 E. longitude, and a meridian of about 15 0 E. longi- 
tude passes over the greatest amount of land. It would 
follow, therefore, that if the Poles of the Earth be equi- 
distant from ail parts of the Equator, the axis of the Earth 
cannot pass through the centre of gravity of the Earth. If 
the axis of the Earth does pass through the centre of gravity 
of the Earth, then the poles of this axis cannot be equidistant 
from all parts of the Equator. 
From a long series of investigations I have come to the 
conclusion that the centre of gravity of the Earth is located 
1115 feet north of the Equator, and 2100 feet distant from 
