ASIA. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA. 



Asia. English and Russian influences were espe- 

 cially at conflict in Afghanistan, which, through- 

 out the year, was the scene of a civil war be- 

 tween the sons and grandsons of the late Dost 

 Mahommed. In the latter part of the year, the 

 partisan of England, Sheere Ali, seemed to have 

 established his rule. 



No part of Asia is making as rapid progress 

 in civilization as British India. As it is the 

 wealthiest empire of Asia, and by far more 

 populous than any single state of Europe, its 

 advance in civilization is of immense impor- 

 tance for the future of both Asia and Europe. 

 The foreign relations of India, throughout the 

 year, were of a pacific nature. Indian troops 

 were employed by England in the Abyssinian 

 war, where they acquitted themselves to the en- 

 tire satisfaction of their English commander. 

 At home some trouble was caused by the Wa- 

 habees, a fanatical sect of Mohammedans. 



In Arabia, the Imaum of Muscat, by far the 

 most powerful sovereign of the country, who 

 claims authority over the whole of Omam, the 

 islands of the Persian Gulf, and a vast extent 

 of territory on the east coast of Africa, was 

 dethroned and succeeded by the chief of the 

 Wahabees. This sect, which designs to restore 

 Mohammedanism to its ancient purity, has of 

 late obtained control of a large portion of Cen- 

 tral Arabia, and now, having added Muscat to its 

 empire, constitutes a greater power than this 

 part of Asia has known for centuries. 



China is beginning to derive great advan- 

 tages from the establishment of the regular 

 monthly steamship line which connects it with 

 the United States. The commerce of the great 

 ports is developing at a very rapid rate. Of 

 still greater importance are likely to be the 

 negotiations which the Hon. Anson Burlin- 

 game, as Chinese plenipotentiary, has been 

 conducting with the United States, England, 

 and France. The Chinese Government is will- 

 ing to harmonize its administration in all es- 

 sential points with that of the civilized nations, 

 and in return asks to be treated itself by for- 

 eigners as any other civilized government. Mr. 

 Burlingame's mission in the United States was 

 entirely successful. In England, though at first 

 received with great mistrust, he likewise suc- 

 ceeded in effecting a new treaty. Reports 

 from the interior of China state that Christi- 

 anity, and in particular the Roman Catholic 

 Church, is making great progress. (See 

 CHINA.) 



For Japan, the past year was the turning- 

 point in its political history, and the beginning 

 of a new era. The young Mikado resumed the 

 reins of the government, which for centuries had 

 been in the hands of the Tycoon. As the lat- 

 ter resisted the claims of the Mikado by force 

 of arms, a civil war ensued, which resulted in 

 the resignation of the Tycoon, the abolition of 

 the Tycoon ate, the reestablishment of the Mi- 

 kado's authority, and the transfer of the seat 

 of government to Yeddo. The civil war was 

 continued by some Daimios of the party of the 



Tycoon, even after the resignation of the lat- 

 ter ; but, at the close of the year, the com- 

 plete triumph of the Mikado seemed to be 

 fully secured. (See JAPAN.) 



The area and population of the independent 

 Asiatic states are shown by the following table : 



The following exhibits the area and popula- 

 tion of the European dependencies : 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA AND 

 PROGRESS. The Total Solar Eclipse. The 

 most important astronomical event of the year 

 was the total eclipse of the sun, which took place 

 August ITth. It could be seen in its perfection 

 only in a path which traversed India, the Ma- 

 lay Peninsula, and the Oriental islands. The 

 English, French, and German Governments 

 took great interest in the phenomenon, and sent 

 out parties of astronomers and photographers, 

 thoroughly equipped with the finest instru- 

 ments, to make scientific observations of it. 

 The points which it was desired to elucidate in 

 connection with the eclipse may be briefly 

 given as follows: 1. Whether the corona or 

 bright white aureole, seen around the moon 

 during the solar obscuration, is the sun's at- 

 mosphere, or a thin atmosphere of the earth 

 extending to the moon and made suddenly 

 visible by the solar rays striking through it. 

 Royal Astronomer Airy, of England, inclines to 

 the latter hypothesis, but has not been sus- 

 tained by the prevailing sentiment of astrono- 

 mers throughout the world. Tests by polari- 

 zation had tended to show that this effect 

 of the corona was caused by a solar atmos- 

 phere surrounding the sun for a great distance, 

 and visible to us at certain seasons, as the 

 zodiacal light. 2. "What is the nature of the 

 rosy protuberances, the glowing mountains of 

 flame, the ragged, fiery fringe seen upon the 

 limb of the moon at the moment of total 

 eclipse? At the eclipse of 1860, several pho- 

 tographs were taken of these lurid excres- 

 cences, and they all agreed in giving the same 

 position and outlines to them, thereby demon- 

 strating that they were not apparitions, but 



