134 Terrestrial Magnetism. 
itinerant observatories in the ships forming the Antarctic 
expedition—those belonging to the East India Company, 
and, in general, all those established on the continent and 
elsewhere, act in concert, having one common centre, 
which is the University of Gottingen. All the observa¬ 
tions are made at a corresponding moment of Gottingen 
mean time, and, when in future years they are all com¬ 
pared together, will entirely settle the question, whether 
the constant perturbations to which the magnetic needle 
is subject are local or of an universal character as regards 
the globe. In either case they will furnish information 
of great value as to the magnitude of the phenomena in 
different places, and the elements on which it depends. 
For the full elucidation of the laws, it must be of the 
first importance that the stations of observation should 
be scattered as widely as possible over the earth’s surface; 
and this has been most effectually done in the selection 
of localities for the fixed observatories. Their number 
already amounts to upwards of 40, and extends from 
Hammerfest in Norway, which is in 70° north latitude, to 
probably 70° of south latitude, or to whatever parallel our 
enterprising navigators may reach. The observations 
made in Van Diemen's Land will be of especial interest, 
as they will be more closely in conjunction with those 
made in the ships in high southern latitudes, and will 
decide the important question, how far that exact cor¬ 
respondence of the momentary magnetic perturbation 
(which has been observed in Europe) takes place in the 
opposite hemisphere. 
The history of the magnet may teach us how extremely 
cautious we should be in denying the value of any 
research or discovery in nature or in science because its 
application to useful purposes may not be immediately 
obvious to us. What would the heroes of old have 
thought of that man who should have devoted his life to 
