Report of the Kew Committee for the year ending October 31, 1883

The Committee regret to announce the decease of their venerable Chairman, the late Sir E. Sabine, K. C. B., who died on the 26th of June at the very advanced age of ninety-four years and eight months. Sir Edward was one of the chief promoters of the Observatory, and took a leading part in its direction from its first establishment as a Physical Observatory in 1841. Up to within a few weeks of his death he was constant in his inquiries after its condition, although for the last eight years he had been prevented by infirmity from taking an active part in the meetings of its Committee. The instruments employed for the absolute observations of terrestrial magnetism, as well as several less important pieces of apparatus used in the regular work of the Observatory, were originally provided by Sir E. Sabine.