72 LIGHT SCIENCE FOR LEISURE HOURS. 



A party will probably be sent to Chatham Island or 

 Campbell Island, not far from New Zealand. It had 

 been thought that at the former island the sun would 

 be too low ; but here, again, a more exact consideration 

 of the circumstances of the transit has led astronomers 

 to the conclusion that the sun will be quite high 

 enough at this station. 



The Russian observers are principally concerned 

 with the observation of the retarded end of the transit, 

 nearly all the best stations lying in Siberia. But 

 there are several stations in British India where this 

 phase can be very usefully observed ; and doubtless 

 the skilful astronomers and mathematicians who are 

 taking part in the survey of India will be invited- 

 as at the time of the great eclipse to give their ser- 

 vices in the cause of science. Alexandria, also, though 

 inferior to several of the Indian stations, will probably 

 be visited by an observing party from England. 



It will be seen that England will thus be called on 

 to supply about half-a-dozen expeditions to view the 

 transit. All of these will be sent out in pursuance of 

 Delisle's mode of utilising a transit, so that, for reasons 

 already referred to, it will be necessary that they 

 should be provided with instruments of the utmost 

 delicacy, and very carefully constructed.* They will 

 have to remain at their several stations for a long time 

 before the transit takes place several months, at least 



* It is held to be of the utmost importance that all the observing 

 parties should use similar telescopes. It would be well if the class of 

 telescope selected were Browning's 6-inch reflectors. 



