THE ANTARCTIC REGIONS. 2/1 



This remark might have been applied with special 

 force to Antarctic voyages if an attempt had been 

 made, somewhat earlier, to penetrate to regions where 

 Antarctic observing stations might have been esta- 

 blished for watching the transit of Venus in December 

 1874. This important astronomical event could have 

 been observed with great advantage from the Antarctic 

 regions. It is easy to show why this is the case. Re- 

 garding our earth as a globe-shaped house, whence 

 'observations can be made as from different rooms, we 

 see that in December, when the south polar regions are 

 enjoying their summer or, in other words, are turned 

 sunwards the Antarctic regions are very suitable lower 

 rooms, as it were, for observing Venus crossing the sun. 

 It is as seen from these lower regions, that she will seem 

 to traverse the sun along the highest course. Now the 

 determination of the sun's distance, by observations of 

 Venus in transit, depends wholly on getting (i.) as high a 

 view, and (ii.) as low a view of the planet as possible, and 

 noting the different effects thus perceived. Astrono- 

 mers are going as far north as they can indeed, they 



valueless, and yet it is all we have obtained from the most striking of 

 solar phenomena. How utterly hopeless, then, must it be to expect 

 results of value from the study of solar details relatively quite in- 

 significant. I venture to speak strongly on this point. It is known 

 that Government has been singularly liberal in affording aid to re- 

 searches promising results of meteorological importance. Ten thousand 

 pounds per annum have long been paid for observations based on hopes 

 of the sort, and, in the opinion of those best qualified to judge, the 

 results have had no scientific value whatever. Neither our men of 

 science nor our Government can well afford to repeat the experiment 

 where the chanees of success are even more hopelessly chimerical. 



