VENUS ON THE SUN'S FACE. 71 



tunately on the unexplored Antarctic continent and 

 the islands adjacent to it; but Crozet Island, Kerguelen 

 Land, and some other places more easy of access than 

 the Antarctic continent, will serve very well. Indeed, 

 England has so many stations to occupy elsewhere 

 that it is doubtful whether she will care to undertake 

 the dangerous and difficult task of exploring the Ant- 

 arctic wastes to secure the best southern stations. The 

 work may fairly be left to other nations, and doubtless 

 will be efficiently carried out. 



What England will actually undertake has not yet 

 been fully decided upon. We may be quite certain 

 that she will send out a party to Woahoo or Hawaii 

 to observe the accelerated commencement of the transit. 

 She will also send observers to watch the retarded 

 commencement, but whether to Crozet Island, Ker- 

 guelen Land, Mauritius, or Rodriguez is uncertain. 

 Possibly two parties will be sent out for this purpose, 

 and most likely Crozet Island and Mauritius will be 

 the places selected. It had been thought until lately 

 that the sun would be too low at these places when the 

 transit begins, but a more exact calculation of the 

 circumstances of the transit has shown this to be a 

 mistake. Both Crozet Island and Kerguelen Land are 

 very likely to be enveloped in heavy mists when the 

 transit begins that is, soon after sunrise hence 

 the choice of Mauritius or Rodriguez as a secondary 

 station. 



England will also be called on to take an important 

 part in observing the accelerated end of the transit. 



