ME. C. V. WAT JCEE , ON MAGNETIC STOEMS AND EAETH-CUEEENTS. 107 
and to indicate that the N.E. and S.W. general direction of the currents is not confined 
to the spot under consideration, but is more general. 
M. De la Eiye, quoting a letter of M. Bergon’s from the ‘ Comptes Eendus de I’Aca- 
demie des Sciences de Paris’ (1859, Sept. 5), says, “Les lignes les plus influencees ont ete 
celles de Bordeaux, Toulouse et Marseille .... La ligne de Strasbourg, si on la compare 
aux lig nes de meme longueur, parait avoir subi les moindres atteintes” [oj). cit. p, 53). 
The following Table gives the bearing geographically of these places in respect of 
Paris, and the angular distance of this bearing from the line arrived at above, whose 
bearing, as we have seen, is determined to be about 41f° E. of N. 
o o 
Bordeaux . . 58 S. of W. . . 9f angular bearing. 
Toulouse . . 80 S. of W. . . 31f angular bearing. 
Marseilles . . 75 S. ofE. . . 5 6f angular bearing. 
Strasbourg . . 10 S. of E. . . 58J angular bearing. 
The Bordeaux line, making an angle of only 9f° with the assumed direction of the 
earth-currents, would necessarily be more affected, as it was reported to have been, than 
the Strasbourg line, making as it does an angle of 58:|-°. 
M. De la Eive also states {op. cit. 280) : “ Des 7 heures de matin (Sept. 2), M. Hipp, 
informe de I’impossibilite de telegraphier, se transporta au bureau de Berne, . . . . il con- 
stata I’existence de courants energiques dans les fils. Ces courants etaient a peu pres con- 
stants ; celui de Zurich fasait dmier Taiguille de la boussole de 45°, celui de Lucerne de 
33°, celui de Lausanne par Fribourg de 38°, celui de Olten de 38°.” 
The angular distances, as before, of these places and Berne, in respect to the 41f° E. 
of N. line, are in order. 
o o o 
Olten . 
. 54 N. of E. . 
5f angular bearing . 
. 38 
Lausanne . 
. 34 S. of W. . 
. 14|- angular bearing . 
. 38 
Zurich 
. 29 N. of E. . 
19|- angular bearing . 
. 45 
Lucerne . 
. 13N. ofE. , 
35^ angular bearing . 
. 33 
Zuiich is here out of order in the value of its current ; but it is further from Berne ; 
the others are in due order ; but in the absence of precise information as to the direc- 
tion and simultaneity of the observations, accurate deductions could not be expected ; 
and therefore too much reliance must not be placed on the results that come out. The 
same may be said of the following, which is the only other comparative case cited, and 
in which the observations were made during an interval of an hour and a half, and may 
not have been quite simultaneous. M. De la Eive says, “ Ainsi a Bale, .... on avait 
entre 4-^ et 6 heures du matin un courant sur la ligne de Paris de 75°, sur celle de 
Saint-Gall de 40°, sur celle de la Chaux de Fonds de 50°, sur celle de Strasbourg de 
34° ” {op. cit. p. 282). The order in which these places fall, their bearings and angular 
distances, are as under : — 
Q 2 
