'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎97] (126/524)

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BOMBAY GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY* XCVii
as respects space, and of enlarging and completing the mathematical
theory of terrestrial magnetism, is to prosecute continuously, successive
determinations of the three magnetic elements at well chosen points
of the globe.”
It may be asked, however, if there is any special reason why the
Colaba Observatory should be maintained ? This is surely not difficult
to answer. In Europe, there are of course many such observatories,
and the disappearance of one or two might be no very great loss.
The European Governments, however, do not seem to lose sight of
them, and at the opposite extremities of the Continent, Russia and
Portugal are at present giving extension to such observations. In
magnetic and meteorological research, much depends upon the equable
distribution, as far as practicable, of the observations over the surface of
the globe. The IIobarton Observatory in Van Dieman’s Land has done
great service ; and at the southern extremities of Asia, those of Singa
pore and Trivandrum have not been without their own importance.
The latter, we are told, is to be closed at the end of the present year,
thus leaving the Bombay Observatory, and it only, to form the middle
link for the connection of those of Europe with the Observatories of
the remoter East. As the magnetic equator passes through Southern
India, Bombay is found to be only 8 degrees from it, and also within a
few degrees of the line of no declination which passes it to the West, whilst
geographically it is not far from the Northern tropic, thus occupying a
position closely analogous to that of Rio Janeiro or of the St. Helena
Magnetical Observatory in the other hemisphere. Locally, therefore,
its position possesses specialities which seem to require us to avail
ourselves of them for the supply of the desiderata of magnetical science,
and if the observations are made with sufficient accuracy, they may
possibly, when reduced, be as valuable as those made at St. Helena.
What has hitherto prevented their being utilized for the advancement
oi science is, that with the exception already mentioned, no systematic
reduction of them has hitherto been attempted, and thus, whilst the
observations at St. Helena, the Cape, Trivandrum, Singapore, &c. are
constantly referred to and employed by physicists, the Bombay obser
vations are never alluded to, the early volumes excepted.
But until an attempt is made to reduce the accumulated observations,
we cann °t know their real value with any approach to accuracy- They
may be utterly worthless, or of the most valuable character, for any
15 p