Eclipse Observations at Manua, Samoa 203 



made at my eclipse station. The Acting Director, Dr. Hammer, besides rendering every 

 possible assistance in these respects, was also able to give me valuable information regarding 

 Manua Island. He told me that the Gottingen Academy of Sciences had planned to send 

 an eclipse expedition to this island, and for this purpose a preliminary trip had been made 

 there by Dr. Wegener and himself in a 30-ton motor boat, called the Zeppelin, a few 

 months previous to my coming. The German expedition, for various reasons, had had to 

 be given up. 



I also learned through the United States consul at Apia, Mr. Mason Mitchell, of the pos- 

 sibility that the United States gunboat, the Annapolis, stationed at Pago Pago, might be 

 put at my disposal. But in the absence of means of communication by steamer, cable, or 

 wireless, it was not possible to communicate either with Pago Pago or with the United States 

 Navy Department at Washington. However, preliminary arrangements wei'e made for the 

 charter of the small motor boat already mentioned, the Zeppelin, to take me and my outfit, 

 if necessarj', all the way to my destination, Manua Island, about 350 miles distant from 

 Apia. I was ad\ased, however, to await the possible arrival of the freighter and to resort 

 to the motor boat only if necessary. So, having made all preparations possible, I accepted 

 the kind invitation of Acting Governor Dr. Erich Schultz (now Governor) to accompany 

 hun, as one of his official guests, on a three-days' trip to the beautiful island of Savaii with 

 its still active volcano, Matavanu, which was visited on April 16. 



Returning to Apia on April 18, I began to get impatient, for the expected steamer was 

 overdue and the eclipse was to occur the following week. \Vlien the steamer finally arrived 

 on April 20, her date of dejiarture, o\\'ing to difficulty in getting the necessary labor to dis- 

 charge her cargo, could not be definitely fixed. So on Saturday at 5 p. m., April 22, in 

 des])eration, I left Apia, not on the freighter, but on the chartered motor boat, the Zeppelin, 

 which was fitted out with a Diesel oil engine, said never to fail. Mr. Boling, being likewise 

 anxious to get to his post, accepted my invitation to accompany me. As there was no cabin, 

 we slept on deck, and since the trip to Pago Pago actually took 35 hours, instead of but 14 

 hours as expected, we were several times caught in drenching tropical rains. About 3 

 hours out from Apia the "infaUible" engine began to miss fire and the pilot expressed a 

 desire to return to Apia, to which proposition I refused, however, to yield. Hoisting 

 sail, we got along the best we could for a while, but about 3 o'clock Sunday morning we 

 were obhged to put in at a small harbor on the southeast coast of Upolo, the island on 

 which Apia is located. After the engine had been taken completely apart it was found 

 that the trouble lay not in it but in the oil supplied. So, after assembUng the parts again, we 

 put out to sea once more at 9 o'clock Sunday morning. We now had winds and currents 

 against us and so managed to cover only about a mile an hour. Towards evening a gale 

 sprang up, obliging us to make a long detour around the north and east coast of Tutuila, so 

 that it was not until 4 o'clock the next morning, April 24, that we found ourselves safely 

 anchored in the beautiful harbor of Pago Pago. 



The United States gunboat Annapolis was found stationed here and, at the invitation 

 of the officers, Mr. Boling and I took breakfast aboard. Conunander W. M. Crose, at the 

 time Governor of Tutuila, was seen shortly thereafter and the situation explained to him. 

 He readily responded to my needs and agreed to transport me with my outfit to Manua 

 Island on the Annapolis with the understanding that the vessel would return by Saturday 

 morning, the day after the eclipse, as she was required for an official trip to Apia. Had 

 there been more time, and if it had been absolutely sure that a landing could be effected, 

 an island more centrally located in the eclipse belt would have been chosen, as, for example. 

 Rose Island, Nassau, or Danger Island. At these islands the duration of totality would be 

 between three and four miiuites, whereas at Tau, on Manua Island, situated, as said, near 

 the western edge of the belt, the dm-ation was only about two minutes. Even at Tau, 

 landings, on account of breakers, are not always certain. 



