1875.] The Late Transit of Venus. 181 
know whether Mr. Ellery was able to make use of the in- 
struments (belonging to the Astronomical Society), which 
Mr. Lockyer had so generously presented to him after the 
Indian eclipse of 1871. If so the Astronomical Society, 
though it should reclaim its property, may be disposed to 
pardon the slight mistake made in this matter. From the 
two French stations in St. Paul’s Island and Campbell 
Island (two of my myths I suppose*) no news has yet been 
received. At Rodriguez the whole transit was seen, and 
mid-transit well photographed. ‘The French also secured 
more than two hundred daguerreotypes at Caledonia Island, 
and these will prove exceedingly useful. 
But the most complete mid-transit success was that 
achieved by Lord Lindsay’s party at the Mauritius, where 
photographic arrangements much more satisfactory than 
those made at the Government stations were combined 
with heliometric observations of mid-transit and spectro- 
scopic observations of exterior contact, neither of which 
*I have been in considerable doubt as to the localisation of my “ geogra- 
graphical myths.” Admiral Richards was sufficiently ready to describe me 
as suggesting ‘‘ geographical myths,” but he has never indicated what he 
really intended by that remark. Of southern islands which I recommended, 
if accessible (and which I supposed, after Admiral Richards’s rebuke, to be 
inaccessible, to say the least), the Germans have occupied one, the Americans 
another, and the French two others; while the French say, in their report, 
that they would have occupied more stations in the southern seas, if they 
could have supposed England would have left the field open to them, as she 
actually did. Another, Crozet Island, was to have been occupied by America, 
having been pronounced accessible by experienced sealing merchants, but bad 
weather prevailed for some time after the Swatara had reached the islands, 
and having to convey all the American observing parties, she was compelled 
to proceed on her way without effecting a landing there. (England, with 
ample time, and colonial possessions close by, might very easily have occu- 
pied this station.) Macdonald Island proved indeed to be barely accessible, 
and was not occupied, though this was not proving it to be a geographical 
myth. I do not know whether Royal Company Island and McQuarie Island 
are myths; but they are certainly marked in admiralty charts. Possession 
Island was described by Admiral Richards himself as easily accessible. Sa- 
brina Land was the selected station for the transit of 1882. Where, then, are 
the “‘ geographical myths ?”” Great indignation was expressed with me when 
I said that the islands in south seas seemed to be described by the Ad- 
miralty as myths or realities, ‘‘as might be most convenient to those in 
authority ;” and it was absurdly stated, that in so saying I was accusing the 
Admiralty of making false entries in their charts. The exact reverse is the 
case. I believe in the Admiralty charts; but the statement that my proposed 
Stations are geographical myths I consider inaccurate. It is not possible to 
land on myths, or to set up observatories on myths. As I explained to the As- 
tronomical Society, I attributed nothing dishonourable to Admiral Richards ; 
his myths were a mistake—that is all. I should have thought his remark ought 
long since to have been withdrawn (as publicly as it was advanced), and not 
without some sort of apology. But officialism sometimes overrides good 
manners. 
