SOLAR ECLIPSE, MAY G, 1883, 19 



sleep during the diiy. Still tvventy-tliree double stars were found. This shows that if a suitable 

 telescfope were to be used iu a favorable place iu the southern hemisphere, as (^uito or Santiago 

 for example, a great number of new objects could be catalogued in a comparatively short time. 

 It appears to me that this expedition is worth mailing. Every day during May a reliearsal 

 for the eclipse observations was gone througli with, and two days before May G everything was 

 in complete readiness. 



On the morning of May 6 there were three rain showers and (several persistent banks of 

 clouds. The sky was clear at first contact (about 10'' 3"' local mean time), cloudy at intervals 

 till near totality; clear during totality, except slight haze during the first minute of totality; 

 cloudy a few minutes after third contact, and finally clear at fourth contract. 



The observations of the various parties may be considered to have been successful; but the 

 success was owing to the apparent accident of the dissipation of a local cloud. I am more than 

 ever convinced that my conclusion to go to Flint Island, had I found the French party occupying 

 Caroline Island, was a sound one. 



Immediately after the eclipse we commenced prejiarations for departure. These occupied May 



r 



7 and May 8. Captain Carpenter had promised to return from Tahiti with the Hartford by the 

 morning of May 9, but we were pleased to see his arrival at 4 p. m. of the 8th. 



By hard work all was packed and delivered on the Eart/ord by 4 p. m. of May 9, and at 5 

 p. in. the Hartford with the expedition on board took her departure for the Sandwich Islands. 



We left Caroline Island with mingled feelings of pleasure and regret. Each one of us had at 

 least some one thing left to do or to see, and yet it was a pleasure to leave the place where our 

 mission had been accomplished and to meet our friends in the ship who were endeared to us by 

 that intimacj' which sea-life induces. 



This is the place to say one word in regard to the outfit of stores and provisions which was 

 lirovided iu New York and Callao by Mr. Eockwell and myself. All the advice we received in 

 the United States from various persons who might have.been supposed to know, was to the effect 

 that we had better not encumber ourselves with stores, etc., from New York ; that the markets of 

 Callao and the resources of a man-of-war would am^jly supply our needs. Acting contrary to this 

 advice we took a large quantity of provisions from New York, together with the canvas, tents, etc. 

 which we were told could be obtained from the man-of-war. At Callao an additional supply of pro- 

 visions was purchased, together with the bricks, cement, and lumber which were found to be nec- 

 essary for the English expedition and our own. The stock of provisions and stores proved to be 

 exactly what we wanted, and we were enabled to support the twelve men of the party on Caroline 

 Island without trouble and to provide a sufficient though primitive cuisine. Our only mistake was 

 in not purchasing all our provisions and tools in New York, and I have given a brief account of 

 our preparations in this direction, iu order to say to other expeditions similar to our own that 

 they will do well to buy all their outfit in New York and pay the freight to the point of destina- 

 tion cheerfully, 



I have to express the thanks of the expedition to the honorable Secretary of War, and to my 

 friend Col. H. C. Hodges, Quartermaster's Dei)artment, for the loan of three tents, which were 

 of great service to us. 



JOUKNEY FROM CAROLINE ISLAND TO THE UNITED STATES. 



From Caroline Island the Hartford proceeded directly to the Hawaiian Islands under sail, and 

 on May 24 we were anchored in the beautiful bay of Hilo. From Hilo a party from the ship visited 

 the volcano of Kilauea, which v were fortunate enough to find in a very active state. Leaving 



