SABINE, Maj.Gen. Sir EDWARD, a celebrated British physicist, of Irish extraction, was born in 1790. After serving in the royal artillery for some time, he was pro moted to the grade of lieut., and accompanied capt. Ross and lieut. Parry (q.v.) in their expedition (1819-20) to the n. coast of America (see I\\oRTH-WEST PASSAGE), making during the voyage a series of magnetic observations of great value. These observations formed the substance of two papers he comr^unicated to the royal society on his return. A strong desire of continuing the investigation of this and other branches of experimental physics, prompted him to undertake a series of voyages to places between the equator and I lie north pole, making at each point observations on the length of the seconds pendulum, and on the dip and intensity of the magnetic needle. The fruits of these labors were of high importance, and were published, along with other information, in 1825. From this period his history is that of a studious investigator into the laws and phenomena of nature, broken only by a short term of military service in Ireland, during which he rose to the rank of maj. In 1830 he communicated to the British association at Bristol his observations on the declination and intensity of the magnetic force in Scot land; and to the same association be delivered, at Liverpool, in 1837, a report on the variations of magnetic intensity at different parts of the earth's surface. The rest of his
researches into the nature and action of magnetic force will be found in detail in the Transactions of the above-mentioned association of the royal society, and in the Philo sophical Transactions. His labors have led to the discovery of the laws of "magnetic storms," of the connection between certain magnetic phenomena and the changes of the solar spots, and of the magnetic action (independently of heat) of the sun and moon on the earth. He deserves almost the sole credit of extending the body of known facts in magnetic science by the establishment of magnetic observatories in all parts of the world, and by the collation of the enormous mass of facts thus acquired. In 1818 Sabine was elected a fellow of the royal society; in 1850 be became its vice-president and treasurer, and in 1861 its president. He was for 21 years one of the general secretaries, and fcr 8 vears sole general secretary of the British association, and filled the office of president in 1852. In 1856 he was raised to the rank of maj.gen.; in 1869 he was created a knight commander of the bath; and in 1875 a corresponding member of the French academy.