504
Lun
further
Estimate of
of $ 8680 to complete the Entire the cost, which is $18,680.
the
institution it will not be ne
to take up
In In respect of
general scientific importance and practical local utility of
at local utility of the proposed
ecessary the Earl of Kimberleyß time by again going over
the ground travelled in the official corespondence that has passed. It may briefly that the observa lory is beyond
ond question a great local want for the daily issue of Correct time to the ships, and of trustworthy forecasts of the weather to these, and to the boat population. swarm in thousands; and that if ably conducted
the it's physical observations
phenomenx of the China leas, will
Mentorno aut cu clones
of the
a clones
By
of
the harbour who
possess Extraordinary value as contributions to meteorological Science, owing to the peculiarly favourable position of stong Kong
Nation.
The
As Ave
me
Strering
in 1877
original project submitted by Comprised two main branches of work: inz:
instruments
(1) astronomical observations with Stationay
the determination of local time, and the dropping of a time
ball.
fr
(11) sextematic and continuous meteorolo.
gical observations with self registering
instruments.
The proposal of the Res Committee of the Rozal Society has added to these a third branch, ie:
terrestrial
magnetion, to which however, Effect
strial magn
is only partially given in the present modified project. I deal with this point further on.
Observatory Site. The necessity for the observatory having first Engaged my
attention in 1876, J
selected Mount Elgin in the peninsula of
that
land have in
Kowloon as the best place for the buildings, as
as far back as year
And since then all applications from
"This private purchasers for the auction sale of
much coveted piece of
Consequence been refused. The conditions
of an
an observatori Site.
that it should not be too distant from the harbour, that it should Command a view of A large
of the meridian as possible, that the locality should be a rural one and as secluded as possible, and that the ground
tvert
An arc
should be at a convenient Elevation above sea.
level . . The one chosen, is the only spot in the Colony that fulfils these Conditions, so that no doubt an arise as to the advisability of adopting it in pre ference to
other locality. It would be impossi ble to place the Observatory on the island of Hong Rong itself,
near the lown, as the latter, which
is overshadowed by hills has neither Suitable level ground or any sky view to the South. Mount Elgin is a small hill rising abruptle level ground all sides from the surrounding
And Culminating in two humps distant, 300 feet from
Each other. The tops of these humps
"were levelled
many years ago by Governor Fir Hercules Robinson who had intended building himself a private summer residences on one, and Government Affices on the other, so that
Jak
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