Correspondence and related papers concerning the correction of compasses on iron ships. The correspondents include A. Smith, F. Beaufort, F.W. Beechy, W. Whewell, J. Washington and E. Sabine. The papers include a circular giving notification of a set of lectures on magnetism at the United Service Institution; a newspaper cutting containing a letter by J. Gray on the compasses on the steamer 'Sarah Sands'; pages extracted from 'The Athenaeum' containing two papers by Airy on the correction of the compass on iron ships; and pages from 'The Athenaeum' containing two papers by William Scoresby on the correction of the compass on iron ships. There are also newspaper cuttings from 'The Northern Daily Times', 7 November 1854; 'The Liverpool Journal', 30 September and 11 November 1854; 'The Liverpool Standard', 16 January 1855; 'The Liverpool Courier', 31 January and 14 February 1855; and a Paris newspaper, 27 November 1854; and pages the 'Mercantile Marine Magazine' and 'Nautical Record', December 1854, containing articles on compasses on iron ships.