THE OCEAN IN WHICH WE LIVE. 
91 
first began to establish a system of such observations. 
Although much has been accomplished, still the sci¬ 
ence is yet in its 
infancy. If obser¬ 
vations of value 
can be made, why 
should not young 
scientific students 
begin to make and 
record observations 
at their own homes? 
In this way alone 
can they get an in¬ 
telligent compre¬ 
hension of what 
might be accom¬ 
plished if all the 
governments of the 
world would unite 
in making and 
publishing syste¬ 
matic reports of 
observations. Be¬ 
sides, it would 
be most excellent 
scientific training 
which every one 
may acquire. This 
thought led me to 
action, and I began a series of experiments and obser¬ 
vations for myself. 
Fig. 50.—Tube showing height of mer¬ 
cury in vacuum, made by drawing a 
rubber cork up the tube. 
