OF TERRESTRIAL MAGNETISM. 
203 
direction : thus, for example, the observations made on the beautiful aurora of 
the 7th ultimo from the vicinity of London, and of this place, seem very nearly 
to accord in almost every respect. 
In conclusion, I will venture to express a hope that the subject of terrestrial 
magnetism may obtain the attention which it appears to deserve, and that 
experiments may be made at the same time in different countries, in order to 
develop its more obscure properties. It will then perhaps be found that its 
relations to other natural phenomena are as extensive as they are interesting 
and important. At any rate, it seems probable that some light might be 
thrown on the hypothesis of electrical currents under and above the surface of 
the earth, and their relative influence on the magnetic needle, if observations 
on its intensity were to be made on small islands, as remote as possible from 
any large tracts of land, and the results compared with others obtained by the 
same apparatus, on extensive continents at stations as nearly as maybe in 
the same magnetic parallels: or, instead of employing the same apparatus, 
several magnetic needles might be forwarded to different places, after having 
been carefully compared with a standard needle ; and with these, simultaneous 
observations might be made, not only in the same parallels, but likewise in 
different parallels of latitude and longitude in both hemispheres. 
2 d 2 
