240 
MAJOR-GENERAL SABINE ON THE DISTURBANCES OF THE 
The comparison of the contemporaneous disturbances at Kew and Nertschinsk in 1858 
and 1859, which are given in detail in the Table at the close, may perhaps be facilitated 
by the subjoined Tables I. and II., in both of which the hours are those of absolute 
solar time at Kew, whilst the deflections are easterly at Kew and loesterly at Nertschinsk. 
Table I. 
Stations. 
Kew Astronomical Hours. 
e. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 
11. 
i2. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16 -j 
1 17. 
Kew 
Nertschinsk 
I , 
87 
36 
93 
47 
75 
40 
/ 
144 ; 
69 
GO O 
214 
93 
183 
146 
232 
204 
206 
198 
131 
159 ! 
77 
103 
25 
75 
Table II. 
Stations. 
Kew Astronomical Hours. | 
!8. | 
10. 
20. 21. 
22. 
23. 
1 0. 
1 . 
2. 
1 3 ' 
4. 
5. 
Kew 
Nertschinsk 
27 
75 
34 
79 
\ 
33 8 
154 88 
13 
72 
12 
63 ] 
59 
32 
40 
46 
46 
54 j 
33 
20 
46 
25 
27 
16 
It is seen that much the larger proportion of the disturbances at both stations occur 
between the hours of 6 and 17, Kew time. They exhibit a generally progressive 
increase of disturbance, easterly at Kew and westerly at Nertschinsk, from 6 to 13 
hours, and a progressive decrease from 13 to 17 hours, also easterly at Kew and westerly 
at Nertschinsk. It is at these hours, viz. the hours contained in Table I., that the dis- 
turbances which produce opposite deflections at the two stations, and may therefore be 
supposed to proceed from a source intermediate between the stations, have their prin- 
cipal preponderance. In Table II. containing the hours, also of Kew time, from 18 to 
5, and the deflections still easterly at Kew and westerly at Nertschinsk, we find the 
disturbances at both stations generally lessened in their aggregate amount, as we may 
suppose might be occasioned by the interference of disturbances of an opposite character 
proceeding from another and a more distant source. Admitting this supposition, the 
principal operation of the interfering cause does not take effect at the same hours of 
absolute time at the two stations; it appears to be chiefly influential at Kew from 18 to 
23 hours, and at Nertschinsk from 0 to 5 hours. 
I have thus endeavoured to trace consecutively the steps by which the probability of 
1824 to 1853-1854 is to be found in tbe second volume of the St. Helena Observations, published in 1860, 
pages cxxi-cxxxvi. Assuming the period to be approximately decennial, we should now (1863-1864) be arrived 
at the fourth recurrence of an epoch of minimum in forty years. Appearances, as yet, seem to favour the 
recurrence of the minimum at the expected epoch. In 1865 and 1866 and succeeding years the disturbances 
should be expected to be on the increase. 
