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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Unpublished paper, 'Observations with the horizontal and dipping needles, made during a voyage from England to New South Wales' by James Dunlop

Reference number: AP/18/8

Date: 05 July 1833

Description

Dunlop shares 'extensive uninterrupted' measurements and observations made using dip needles [dip circles]. The measurements extend 'over the Earth's surface about 180 degrees in longitude and 100 degrees in latitude'. Includes written observations, over 100 tables of data dating from 12 May 1831 to 25 October 1831, and a diagram showing magnetic observations on the southern hemisphere. The tables cover latitude, longitude, observational dip, position of the ship's head and corrected dip.

Subject: Magnetism

Received 22 February 1834. Communicated by Captain [Francis] Beaufort.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 3 of Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [later Proceedings of the Royal Society] as 'Observations with the horizontal and dipping needles, made during a voyage from England to New South Wales'.

Reference number
AP/18/8
Earliest possible date
05 July 1833
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
148 pages
Format
Manuscript

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Citation

Unpublished paper, 'Observations with the horizontal and dipping needles, made during a voyage from England to New South Wales' by James Dunlop, 05 July 1833, AP/18/8, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_18_8/unpublished-paper-observations-with-the-horizontal-and-dipping-needles-made-during-a-voyage-from-england-to-new-south-wales-by-james-dunlop, accessed on 13 June 2026

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_18_8/unpublished-paper-observations-with-the-horizontal-and-dipping-needles-made-during-a-voyage-from-england-to-new-south-wales-by-james-dunlop

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  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

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