THE COMING TRANSIT OF VENUS. 35 



ing all idea of an Antarctic expedition. The schemes 

 set afoot for observing the transit of 1882 should 

 have been transferred to the transit of 1874. Not a 

 single argument which had been argued in their favour 

 was wanting in the case of the latter transit. The 

 main argument was greatly strengthened ; for the 

 difference of duration in 1882 would only be twenty- 

 four minutes, if Possession Island were the selected 

 station; whereas we have seen that in 1874, the corre 

 sponding difference will be fully thirty-three minutes. 

 And the fatal objection to Possession Island as a sta 

 tion in 1882, has no existence in the case of the transit 

 of 1874. Instead of the utterly insufficient solar ele 

 vation of five degrees just mentioned, there will be, in 

 1874, a solar elevation of thirty-eight and a half 

 degrees when the transit begins, and of twenty-five 

 degrees when the transit ends. And necessarily all 

 the considerations which had been urged as to the 

 importance of Antarctic expeditions, per se, and 

 especially of the interest which would attach to the 

 experiences of a wintering party near the south pole of 

 the. earth, remain unchanged. 



While there is still a possibility of retrieving matters, 

 I would earnestly appeal to all who can assist in bring 

 ing about such a result to spare no pains in the endea 

 vour. I believe the scientific credit of this couutry to 

 be seriously imperilled* Hereafter, the very arguments 

 used in favour of the now abandoned scheme for ob 

 serving the transit of 1882 from Possession Island, will 

 be urged, even as now (for a better purpose) I am 



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